Aliit
by Jess Marylin
Summary: While assisting a Commando Squad on a Black Ops mission, Fives also comes across their unusual Sergeant. A woman who happens to be a True Mandalorian. But that's not the most peculiar thing about her... Fives/OC.
1. Asset Denial

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

__This story takes place right after the Battle of Umbara. Being that Skylar and her squad are on a secret mission, they haven't learned of that battle just yet.__

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><p>Sergeant Skylar Cordav, of the Special Operations Brigade of the Grand Army of the Republic, was in trouble. <em>Deep<em> trouble.

Her mission: Distract the tinnies while her squad completed their mission. Their success hinged on her ability to keep the Separatists' eyes on her. _No pressure._

She pulled her helmeted head back just as volley of blaster bolts flew towards her position. _Osik!_ Apparently, her mission was a smashing success so far. Hopefully, her brothers would be fast enough. Cordav didn't know how much longer she could hold out.

She stuck her head back out from the protection of the piece of rubble she'd taken shelter behind. "Hey tinnies!" she yelled, throwing a grenade. "Ya missed!"

The grenade exploded, turning several of the Battle Droids into scrap metal. But more came. Every time she took one out, it seemed like several more took it's place. She pulled back again as a blaster bolt skimmed her _buyce_. Scuffing the paint.

"Cordav to Jinx. Cordav to Jinx. Come in Jinx." _He's not answering. Why is he not answering?_

Skylar lobbed another grenade at the droids. _I'm almost out. Come on, Jinx. Hurry!_

Her comm crackled, "Sarge this is Jinx. Over."

_Vor entye._ "Hey, Jinx. How's it coming?" She turned, and aimed her blaster before shooting a droid right in the center of it's chest.

"Coming along very well, _Ruus'alor_," Jinx responded. He grunted. He and Dover were probably helping Quirk, their ordnance expert, move some explosives. "Almost done. How are things looking out there?" he asked calmly.

"Other than the fact that I'm _cornered_, I'd say things are looking pretty good," the sergeant responded lightly. "We really should have brought another squad with us. I'm sure they would have enjoyed the peace and quiet."

"You think you can hold out a little longer?" Jinx asked.

"No. Why? You need me to save your _shebse_ again?" she joked. Even though she was wearing _beskar'gam_, which was like Zilo Beast skin to lightsabers, it could still overheat. And since she was almost surrounded by flying blaster bolts, that was likely to happen _very_ soon. No way could she come running to their rescue.

"Sergeant Cordav," another voice said, cutting into their channel. And even though the man's voice was identical to Jinx's, she didn't recognize it. There were several subtle differences in his accent. This new clone was a little younger than her boys and he'd had a different training sergeant. Probably was Bric, from the sound of it. She'd never liked that Siniteen. His Arconan buddy, El-Les, was okay though. At least _he_ cared for the men.

_Back to business._ There shouldn't be any other clones out here besides the four commandos of Tor Squad. This was a black ops mission. Asset denial. Aka, blowing up a Separatist droid factory. Only the General in charge of the Special Operations brigade, Arligan Zey, knew of their mission.

"Identify yourself, soldier. What in the nine hells of Corellia are you doing in this _dar'yaim_?" she snapped. Cordav did _not_ like not knowing things.

By the sound of his voice, this younger clone was a little taken aback by her snappy order, "This is ARC Trooper 5555. I was sent by General Zey to assist you and your squad, Sergeant."

_Fives._ She'd heard of him. And she was right. Domino Squad had been under Sergeant Bric back on Kamino. Poor guy was the last one of his training squad left. He'd watched _all_ of his closest brothers die. She felt sorry for him. Cordav knew what it was like to lose brothers. Only eighty-four of her father's boys were still alive, last she checked. Her _buir_ had started out with one hundred and four boys. Like the rest of the _Cuy'val Dar_. The only difference was, he'd trained his young daughter alongside them. Now that her father was dead, they were the only _aliit_ Cordav had.

Skylar's tone softened as much as it could with the pressure she was currently under, "Sorry, Fives. I just wasn't expecting anyone else to know of our mission."

"Neither were we," Devrin's voice spoke up on the comm. "I guess it's our lot in life to be kept in the dark. Eh, _Ruus'ika_?"

The Mandalorian woman rolled her eyes under her helmet, firing at another droid that was _di'kutla_ enough to come closer. "Very _bad_ joke, _ner vod_. On another note... Fives?"

"Yes ma'am?"

"I'm turning my secure beacon on. What's your ETA to my position?"

"About forty minutes, Sergeant."

"Call me 'Sarge.' And you might want to step up the pace. Unless you want a hard-boiled sergeant," she quipped.

Devrin's voice came back on. He was _laughing_, "Bad joke, Sky."

"You know what, _Dev'ika_? Shut up. _K'uur!_"

* * *

><p>Fives had been warned by General Zey that Republic Commandos were <em>very<em> different from ARC Troopers. Just listening to them interact with Sergeant Cordav proved that right. They were a lot more lax. One of them, Dev, he'd guessed, was relaxed enough to call his sergeant by a nickname instead of her title. And not _once_ had he heard any of them use 'ma'am.'

Even the commanding sergeant was peculiar. Not only was Cordav _not_ a clone, she was _female_. And a Mando, on top of that. Before Fives had been briefed for this mission, he'd been under the impression that all weapon-wielding Mandalorians were Death Watch members. Apparently not. _Wait 'til Rex and Jesse hear about this._

"I'll see if I can shorten that time to thirty, Sarge. Can you last that long?"

"I'll try, _F'ika_."

"Apologies, ma'am. But what did you call me?"

"Means 'little Fives.' I do that with all the boys under my command, soldier," she finished, grunting in pain and then cussing in Mando. Fives didn't think he even _wanted_ to understand what she was saying. That's when he spotted an abandoned speeder bike.

"Ma'am?"

"Cut it with the 'ma'am, Fives. Either call me 'Sarge' or by my name. I'm not _that_ much older than you." The clones of Tor Squad started laughing over the channel. She must have given all of them this same speech.

"Sorry, Sarge. I'll be at your position in five minutes. I've found a ride."

"Good. 'Cause I'm going psycho Mando right... _NOW_!" she yelled. Fives could only guess that she'd meant that she was engaging the clankers cornering her at a closer range. He most definitely wasn't prepared for the sight that awaited him.

A slim woman in fitted, matte black Mando armor with orange and yellow highlights on her helmet, her gray range-finder lowered, was indeed going 'psycho' on the droids. Besides her blaster in her left hand, she was wielding, of all things, a red metal flute. She thrust the pointed end of the instrument at a SBD and it cut into the tinny easily. He called to her and she ran to him, dodging blaster bolts and clipping her flute to her belt before she jumped behind him on the bike.

Sergeant Cordav gripped the speeder bike with her knees and threw her remaining grenades at the droids, blowing several clankers to scrap as they sped to the rendezvous point. She then wrapped an arm around his waist, surprising him, before sending the coordinates to him. Fives was just a little distracted. The closest he'd even been to females were Shaak Ti and Ahsoka Tano. And neither of them had _ever_ held onto him for balance.

"Cordav to Jinx. We'll see you boys at the RV point. You'd _better_ be there."

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><p><em>aliit = family, or clan<br>_

_osik = crap_

_buyce = helmet_

_vor entye = thank you_

_Ruus'alor = Sergeant_

_shebse = backsides_

_beskar'gam = Mandalorian armor_

_dar'yaim = dead world_

_buir = papa_

_Cuy'val Dar = 'Those who no longer exist.' There were a hundred of them that Jango called to Kamino to train the commandos. Seventy-five were Mandos._

_Ruus'ika = little Sergeant_

_di'kutla = foolish or idiotic_

_ner vod = my brother_

_k'uur = Hush! Be quiet!_

_Hope you wonderful readers like this so far! Please R&R.  
><em>


	2. Fighters

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co. Big thanks to laloga for reviewing!  
><em>

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><p>As soon as Fives and Cordav approached the damaged clunker of a ship that the GAR commissioned to Tor squad, Skylar immediately pinpointed her boys who were lounging against it. <em>Solus, t'ad, ehn, cuir.<em> _Vor entye._ And since they were all standing, the Mando woman could safely assume that they were fine. Unlike her. Her ears were still ringing from the blaster bolt that had singed the paint job on her helmet. And her leg stung from where that second blaster bolt had managed to find the tiny space between her plates.

As soon as Fives stopped the bike, the sergeant jumped off and ran to the four other clones. Embracing each of them fiercely while ignoring Fives open staring. She didn't care. These were four of her _vode_. And she was proud of that.

As Fives approached uncertainly, Cordav turned her helmeted head slowly to Quirk. "I thought you were supposed to blow the place up, _vod'ika_? I didn't hear any explosions," she said accusingly.

Devrin chuckled, "We were waiting for you and Fives to show up, _Ruus'alor_. That way, you can truly appreciate Quirk's professional handiwork."

Jinx shook his head and Cordav could have sworn that she heard Quirk and Dover's eyes roll.

"Actually, we'd thought it would be the perfect distraction for a quick getaway. If we can even get this bucket of bolts off the ground," Jinx corrected. Cordav clenched her teeth in frustration. Military Procurement was horrible. She agreed with Sergeant Skirata. Those lazy bums needed to be shipped to the front line. If they somehow managed to survive, they'd definitely be _much_ quicker on the uptake.

"Well, wouldn't be the first time that the Republic's stiffed us," Quirk pointed out, using his thumb to press the button on the remote he held in his right hand. Instantly, there was a loud boom and a distant rumbling. Alarms started blaring from the factory's perimeter towers as smoke streamed to the sky.

"_Osik_, guys. Did you use up all of _their_ ordnance too?"

Dover shook his head, "No time for admiring, Sarge. We gotta go while the Seppies are busy."

"I second that!" Devrin said, ignoring the five helmets that irritably turned his way.

Cordav turned to Fives, "Unfortunately, Devrin's right. Get your skirted butt inside, soldier."

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><p>Fives spluttered, "It's a <em>kama<em>. A belt-spat. Not a skirt."

Cordav started laughing as she disappeared into the old cargo ship ahead of him. As Quirk, Dover, and Devrin followed her inside, Jinx turned to the disgruntled ARC. "She knows. She's just trying to get a reaction from you. You're not the only one she teases, Fives," he said conspiratorially, offering the younger clone his hand. "Name's Jinx. I'm the sergeant of this squad of loons. Skylar just tags along when she feels like bossing us around."

Fives' eyebrows raised under his helmet, but he took the clone sergeant's hand and shook it. Jinx gripped tighter and pulled the ARC into the ship after him.

"Welcome to Tor Squad, Fives."

As soon as Jinx pulled him inside, the cargo ship's bay doors closed and its engines started. They hurtled towards space, the ship creaking the entire time. It was making Fives nervous. But Quirk and Dover didn't seem to mind, they looked like they were used to it. Both of the slightly older clones were unrolling their bed rolls in the cargo bay. Apparently this ship didn't have sleeping quarters. Within seconds, the two members Tor Squad were out.

Devrin chuckled as he and Jinx side-stepped them. The jokester turned to Fives and mock whispered, "I wouldn't be surprised if those two managed to sleep through a sandstorm."

If that was supposed to be a joke... Fives wasn't sure. Jinx pulled his helmet off, rolling brown eyes at his fellow squad member and running a hand through red-dyed hair, "Sorry about Devrin, Fives. We think the Kaminoans dropped him on his head."

"That, or he somehow managed to find lead paint to chew on," Cordav's voice spoke up from the hallway leading to the cockpit. Her helmet was clipped to her belt and her light brown hair was braided around her head. She looked to be about General Skywalker's age. "You can take your helmet off, Fives. We're all _vode_ here."

Devrin removed his helmet and Fives followed suit. The ARC was about to ask what '_vode_' meant when he saw Devrin's indignant face. The _blue-haired_ clone was glaring at both of his sergeants, "That is _not_ funny, guys."

"Well, quit acting like a _di'kut_ and _maybe_ we won't treat you like one," Cordav responded quickly, smirking. Devrin huffed and made his way to the cockpit, Jinx right behind him. This was just getting weirder and weirder. A non-clone treating clones like... like they were her _brothers_.

She turned to him, "I take it that you're not used to this, Fives?"

He nodded his head uncertainly, remembering just in time not to call her 'ma'am', "You could say that, Sarge. What do '_vode_' and '_di'kut_' mean?" Fives asked, forehead furrowed in puzzlement. "If you don't mind my asking, Sarge?"

Cordav chuckled, "No need to stand on ceremony with me, soldier. '_Vode_' means 'siblings.' '_Di'kut_' means 'idiot.' And, since you're probably wondering about earlier too, no, I wasn't cussing. I was pretty much calling myself every word we Mandos have for 'moron.'"

Fives was just about to ask exactly _how many_ words that was when there was a loud bang and the ship jolted violently to the side, knocking him off his feet and Cordav to her hands and knees.

"Fighters! _Osik!_ They're on to us!" the sergeant said, running to the cockpit with wide awake Dover and Quirk right behind her. Fives pulled himself up and followed, reaching the cockpit as the woman slipped into the co-pilot's seat. Jinx was piloting and Devrin, in the navigator's chair, was furiously punching coordinates into the navicomputer.

"Does this ship have _any_ weapons?" Fives asked worriedly, holding onto the door frame with Dover and Quirk to keep from falling as Jinx jerked the ship hard to the right.

"Four lasers," Dover spoke up. "Cordav can handle the one on the front. I'll take the back. You and Quirk can fight over the side ones." With that, he disappeared back down the hallway, almost hitting the wall as the ship was hit again. Quirk right on his heels.

Fives was astonished at how easily Dover, just a private, gave orders right in front of two of his superiors. He was even more astonished that neither sergeant even seemed to be bothered by it. But they couldn't afford for him to dwell on that now. He chalked that up to the growing list of questions he had for the two officers.

"How long does it take for the hyperspace to kick in?" he asked of no one in particular.

"Five minutes," Devrin said worriedly from his seat. "You'd better get back there and start blasting, skirt-boy."

If their lives weren't on the line, Fives would have given Devrin a piece of his mind right then. Another thing to remember later. If they even managed to live through this. If only they had a Jedi with them...

As he ran back to the aft of the ship, he heard Cordav's strained voice snap, "If you don't _k'uur_ right now, Dev, I _will_ force you to wear a _real_ skirt. _Tali'bayc_?" Fives had no idea what those Mando words meant. But, from her tone, he could tell that she wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer.

He was jolted from that line of thought when the ship rocked again and alarms started blaring. From the sound of it, they just _lost_ their shields. _This just keeps getting better and better._

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><p><em>solus = one<em>

_t'ad = two_

_ehn = three_

_cuir = four_

_vod'ika = little brother_

_Tali'bayc? = Do you understand? (The best answer to this particular Mando phrase is _always_ 'yes.')_

_Please R&R._


	3. Bluff

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co. Big thanks again to laloga to reviewing! I hope this chapter is just as good as the first two!  
><em>

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><p>As Fives disappeared back into the bowels of the ship, Cordav chanced a quick glare at the blue-haired clone. Devrin was a good boy, but he never learned when to keep his mouth shut. The more dangerous the situation, the more he liked to talk.<p>

She shook her head and turned her attention back to operating the forward cannon, just as the last side cannon came online. "Fives! There's a fighter coming in on your side!"

"I see him, Sarge," came the ARC's reply over the comm. His shot missed.

"You're gonna have to do better than that if you want to live, Shiny," Dover snapped, hitting his own target. Even though Dover was the quietest one of the bunch, he was the one with the shortest fuse. Cordav had been working with him on it, but Dover still tended to blow up under pressure.

Cordav focused on firing at her own targets, letting Jinx handle the discipline. This was _his_ squad after all. She was just a floater. Speaking of which, they'd all be _floating_ in vaccuum _very_ soon unless Devrin could get the _osikla_ hyperdrive to cooperate. What she wouldn't give for some decent transportation.

"Dover, that's enough," snapped Jinx as he pulled the ship into another complicated roll. "Save it for the enemy!"

Jinx gasped and Cordav's attention was drawn away from her targeting computer and toward the forward viewscreen. That was when she understood why the fighters hadn't destroyed them yet. The droids were _herding_ them.

Not too far ahead was a Trade Federation control ship. Their ship jerked as a tracker beam locked on them.

"_Osik_! Boys! Get up here now!"

"But, Sarge-"

"Never mind the fighters," Cordav's tone became worried. "You need to see this."

How in the galaxy were they going to get away now? Cordav bit her lip, trying to think up a plan. Nothing came to her. Except an old smuggler's trick. It was the only thing she could think of to keep her boys, Fives now included, from becoming prisoners of war.

* * *

><p>Fives looked at the Mando woman in disbelief, "You want us to <em>hide<em> while you try to _talk_ us out of this, Sergeant?"

"Fives, it's the only way to keep you boys safe," Cordav responded, her voice firm, but gentle. No one had _ever_ spoken to him like that. And the only ones that had ever shown him any concern at all were Rex, Jesse, and... and 99 and... Echo. He was still coming to terms with the fact that Echo was gone.

Cordav must have picked up on his train of thought, because she reached up and laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder before turning to the squad, "I know you guys don't like it. But it's the only thing that will work."

"But how are you going to convince them to let us go?" Jinx responded, brow furrowed. The rest of Tor Squad were watching her carefully. All of them _very_ worried. Fives had a feeling that they would be willing to die to keep Cordav safe. And from what he'd seen so far, the Mando sergeant would do the same for them.

But why would a non-clone-?

"_Vode_, we don't have _time_ to discuss this. We'll be in their hanger in _less_ than five minutes. I suggest you get your _shebse_ into those smuggling compartments." Since Fives was the closest to her, she placed her hand on his lower back and pushed him forward. "_Now_."

Without question, the other clones climbed in ahead of him. Fives was standing his ground. He wasn't used to having someone else fight his battles. And he was _not_ going to get used to it now. Even if she did outrank him.

Without warning, Cordav's leg struck the back of his knees, making them buckle. He would have fallen faceplate first into the compartment if Quirk and Jinx hadn't caught him. Devrin was laughing at him and Dover smacked the other clone on the helmet before settling down in a corner.

The floor tile slid over them and locked into place. For the first time in his short life, Fives was left completely dumbfounded.

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><p>Skylar hated doing that to Fives. But it was the fastest way she could get him in there. He was one of the most stubborn clones she'd ever met. And, no doubt, she'd probably wounded his pride. If she survived this, she promised herself that she would sit him down and apologize.<p>

No time for that now. The old cargo ship shuddered as it landed in the Federation ship's hanger. To her, it was like the condemning sound of a judge's gavel.

Cordav couldn't let anything happen to _her_ boys. Shortly after she'd first laid eyes on her brothers, when they were the equivalent of four year olds, she'd promised herself that she would do everything in her power to protect them. And she was not going renege on that now. Even if it cost her life to secure their freedom.

Skylar took a deep breath and put her helmet back on as the cargo bay doors opened. It was time to play Death Watch.

The Battle Droids clanked in, all of their blasters aimed at her. Cordav refused to raise her hands, keeping her thumbs hooked in her belt. It was all about acting the part of the boss. "What the _osik_ is this all about?" she demanded angrily.

"You are working for the Republic, ma'am," one of the droids said. _Really? I would never have known._ "You are under arrest. Come with us." That voice... Oh how it grated on her nerves.

"So? What if I have been helping the Republic?" Cordav asked. "That's none of your business, you overgrown piece of scrap," she said refusing to move, her tone turning cold and threatening. "I demand that you get off my ship and release me at once. Or the Count will hear of this..." she trailed off, folding her arms over her armored chest.

It was just a bluff, but she was counting on the fact that these droids were just as _di'kutla_ as the rest.

Unfortunately, she had to get the ones that remembered procedures...

"You'll have to verify that, ma'am." _Osik!_

"Don't have to. If Vizsla hears about this... He's not going to be happy that you're delaying one of his _own_ from reporting to him and Dooku." Another bluff. Her right hand strayed to the flute at her belt.

* * *

><p>Fives listened with his helmet in his hand, head lamp activated, the expression on his face one of disbelief. <em>Cordav's a double agent?<em> She was working for Dooku? But-

Jinx sat next to him, "You do realize that she's bluffing, right, ARC?" he whispered, pronouncing the term A-Ar-See. Like a droid's number. Fives stiffened.

The sergeant chuckled softly, "I meant no offense, Fives. That's just part of our jargon. We commandos call ourselves Ar-Sees."

"Or meat-cans," Devrin interjected, also whispering. The navigations expert had been on a roll ever since Sergeant Cordav had locked them in the compartment.

"Devrin," Jinx said warningly, but the other clone was ignoring him. The sergeant gripped Dev's forearm plate firmly.

"Yeah, Sarge?"

"Shut up."

Devrin gave Jinx an informal salute. "Will do, Sarge." Quirk and Dover just shook their heads. And Fives was beginning to think that something was _seriously_ wrong with Devrin. Never before had he come across a brother this... _hyper_.

"Sarge?"

"Call me Jinx."

"Sorry, Jinx."

The red-haired clone raised a brow at him, "No need to apologize, brother. You had a question for me, Fives?"

Fives nodded as Quirk and Dover slipped off their buckets too, listening intently. "Yes. How come you and Sergeant Cordav are so-"

"Lazy?" Devrin slipped in, disobeying Jinx's direct order.

Fives eyed him warily, "I was going to say '_relaxed_.'"

The ship shuddered and all five clones stilled, listening quietly. No more sounds of the droids. In minutes, the hyperdrive was activated and the floor tile above their heads slid out of place. Cordav's black, orange, and yellow helmet, which Fives noticed also had red around the viewplate, looked down over the ledge at them.

"Told ya I'd get us out of here." Fives could have sworn that he heard a smirk in the female sergeant's voice as she offered him a hand up.

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><p><em>osikla = crappy<em>

_Please R&R._


	4. Assignments

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Hopefully this chapter is better than the last one.  
><em>

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><p>Fives lay wide awake, Umbara on his mind. Even though he had been locked up in the brig with Jesse when Krell had set the 501st and the 212th against each other, he still remembered seeing the bodies. And the haunted looks in the faces of his brothers who had survived that battle. And it had fundamentally changed him. Rex too. The Captain had been a lot quieter, and his face had looked much older. When Fives had said that the war would be over soon, almost expressing his hope that they would be free, Rex had seemed doubtful. As if the older clone had given up on that hope...<p>

Fives sat up. There was just no point in trying to sleep now. The clones of Tor Squad were all out, still in full Katarn armor. The ARC had no idea how they could do that, as he himself was in his fatigues, his armor piled neatly next to his bedroll with the rest of his kit.

He stood up quietly, not wanting to wake them. He'd seen how fast they could shift from unconscious to fully alert. Much faster than a normal trooper. Dover had actually aimed his blaster at Fives out of pure reflex, only lowering when Cordav had yelled 'check.' Which had also caused the rest of the squad to freeze as well. If these commandos were so laxed, why did they follow that order so quickly?

Speaking of Cordav... Her bedroll was empty. That confused Fives, as the Mando sergeant had specifically said that there was no need for anyone to keep watch. They were in hyperspace. The ship's alarms would wake them if there was trouble.

As he was thinking that over, Fives heard a soft sound coming from the cockpit. Music. Cordav was playing her flute. Silently, he made his way up front. Before he even stepped foot in the cockpit, the woman's instrument was lowered and she'd turned her chair so that she could look up at him.

"Couldn't sleep, _vod'ika_?" she asked softly.

"Yes, ma-" Fives cleared his throat. "I mean, yes. Sarge. I heard you call Quirk that. What does it mean?"

Cordav chuckled and Fives noticed for the first time that her eyes were puffy and red. As if she had been crying. _But why? We got out safely and the squad's fine._ He sat down in the chair across from her, now very uncomfortable. _Come to think of it, I didn't think Mandos _could_ cry._

"It means 'little brother,' Fives," Cordav answered, her expression one of concern. For him. _This is just plain weird._

"You want to talk about what's bothering you, _F'ika_?"

Said clone eyed her warily, "How would you know something's bothering me?"

Cordav just shook her head, her expression amused, "'Cause you're awake when you should be sleeping." Her dark eyes looked right into his, "And I know clones' faces better than my own. Your expression alone is enough to tell me that something's wrong. Or was wrong."

"No offense, Sarge. But why do you care so much?"

She flinched, "I care because I grew up surrounded by you boys. Since my father died, you and your brothers are all I have left, Fives."

Fives could feel his jaw drop. He quickly closed it. "You were on Kamino? But why would a little girl-?"

"I wasn't little, Fives," she interrupted him. "I was eleven. Two years away from becoming an adult in my people's eyes. The reason I was there was because my father was one of the _Cuyval Dar_."

"Cooee- what?"

Cordav snorted, trying almost unsuccessfully from laughing out loud. Fives just watched her. Why she found that funny... She just didn't make _any_ sense to him. But he was careful to keep his thoughts from showing on his face. She was still a sergeant and still deserved some respect. Even if she was the _strangest_ sergeant that Fives had ever served under.

"_Cuyval Dar._ It means, 'those who no longer exist.' In this instance, they are the one hundred men and women that the _Mand'alor_ called to Kamino to train the commandos. And the younger ARCs, like yourself. Bric and El-Les were two of them."

"I thought Jango called them," Fives said, his forehead furrowing in puzzlement. "Who is this... _Mand'alor_?" he asked, carefully pronouncing the term.

"Jango was the _Mand'alor_, Fives. The _true_ leader of Mandalore and it's people. 'Course, the Republic doesn't pay much attention to the important details when it comes to us knuckle-dragging barbarians," Cordav almost seethed.

That caught Fives by surprise. Every non-clone that he'd ever come across that was serving the Republic in the war effort seemed _extremely_ loyal to it. Sergeant Cordav sounded like she could barely tolerate it. She mumbled something that sounded like '_aruetiise_.' The way she said that word set off every alarm bell in Fives head. His hand strayed to his blaster. He was not going to make the same mistakes that he'd had in the Krell incident.

The movement did not go unnoticed by the Mandalorian. She rolled her eyes, "If I was going to betray you, Fives, I would have done it by now."

Fives stubbornly kept his hand on his weapon, "You don't like the Republic. That sounds a lot like a traitor to me," he finished, clenching his jaw, every muscle in his body tensed to spring.

"Fives," Cordav said gently, as if she was talking to a child. She wasn't even reaching for her own weapons. Her flute lay forgotten in her lap. "I just told you that I consider you and your brothers my _aliit_. I would never betray my family. It's not the Mando way. _If_ I ever did that, which I _won't_, by the way, I would be a coward and my life would be meaningless. In my eyes, and in my brothers'."

He relaxed, but with his hand still on his blaster. He'd been tricked once and he wasn't going to let that happen again. _Wait a second..._ "You think of us as your _family_?" he asked, completely stunned. He'd known that she cared for the men under her command... But to _actually_ consider them her brothers? Fives _really_ wished that he had a Jedi with him. Preferably General Skywalker. At least the young general would be able to tell if Cordav was lying.

Several hours later and Fives and Tor Squad, Cordav included, were being debriefed on their mission. But all thoughts of the successful 'asset denial,' as Quirk had called it, were far from Fives mind. Now that Cordav was in the presence of General Zey, the ARC was sure that Cordav wasn't a traitor. But that was not what had him frozen in surprise.

Cordav was _yelling_ at the General. "I asked for a _dependable_ ship for my squad! A simple request! The _osikla_ Republic has plenty to spare, but do we get one? No! Even a civvie speeder would have been better than that piece of scrap!"

Zey was doing his best to calm the young woman, "I understand your frustration, Sergeant. I really-"

"Don't give me that 'sympathetic _Jetii_ crap, Zey! It's _your_ job to make sure that these men are well supplied and you can't even do that! If you and your kind won't start getting things done, you're gonna lose this war, General."

Fives fully expected General Zey to lose it. But the older man just rubbed his temples wearily, as if he dealt with this on a daily basis, "You know that supplying kit to the men is not my responsibility, Skylar. My hands are tied."

_Skylar? That's her first name?_ It didn't sound Mando to Fives.

Said woman practically glared at the Jedi as she rose from her seat, "Well, _untie_ them." She walked out, Fives following being that he was now assigned to her. Not before he gave Zey a proper salute, though. The older man returned the salute with a smile before turning to brief Tor Squad on their next assignment.

By the time Fives exited the General's office, Cordav was halfway down the corridor already. Her hands balled into fists. Fives guessed that part of her frustration was due to the fact that Tor Squad was going on their next mission tomorrow. Without her.

* * *

><p><em>Please R&amp;R.<em>


	5. Training

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co. Big thanks to laloga and Depthcharge2030 for reviewing! You guys are great!  
><em>

* * *

><p>Cordav angrily stalked down the hall, fully aware that Fives was right behind her thanks to the 360 degree view that her <em>buyce<em> gave her. She needed to calm down, even if she didn't want to. Right now, she fervently wished that she could punch _something_. The way those arrogant _Jetiise_ talked about the boys... Sure, some of them cared. But none of them, aside from Tur-Mukan and Jusik, cared _enough_.

She needed to speak with Kal. She was even willing to talk with Ordo or Mereel, if either of the Nulls were back at Arca Barracks. She walked to the gym in time to see Vau in the middle of demonstrating a particular Mando move to some troopers. Future commandos. Half of the boys that were watching the display were her assignment for now. Hers and Fives' for that matter. She didn't mind working with the young ARC, but she couldn't help but wonder why Zey had assigned him to her. She'd had to train her boys by herself after her father's heart gave out. She really didn't need the help now.

The thought of her father brought her already bad mood even lower. Even though it had been five years since her _buir_'s death, she still missed him. Like she would miss _all_ the brothers she had lost, and most likely would lose, to this pointless, _di'kutla_ war. The KIA count for her squads was now up to twenty-four. Which was why she'd been crying when Fives had found her in that cockpit. An entire squad lost. She'd just talked to Pak, Kor, Hero, and Quip only the day before. At least they'd died knowing that their brothers and sister loved them.

Cordav bit back a sob and redirected her thoughts. There would be time for mourning them later. Right now she needed to focus on her boys that were still alive. And until they knew her better, they didn't need to see her cry. It was _very_ bad for morale.

Vau finished with his demonstration and nodded to her. She hadn't liked him much at first. The black-clad Mando had a long history of beating the clones under his command. He was a little better now, but that strill of his still spooked her. She didn't have anything against the species itself, but Lord Mirdalan... she just didn't like it. Speaking of which... Mird was eying her. But she just ignored the animal as she read out the numbers of the boys assigned to her from her datapad.

How she hated this _aruetyc Droten_. Two years of the war had passed. Two years that her brothers had faithfully served the Republic. Bled and died for it. And the corrupt, so-called _democracy_ still _insisted_ on calling these boys by _numbers_.

Even though she memorized clones numbers along with their names, Skylar had long ago made a point of only using their numbers if she didn't know their names. And if any one of them didn't have a name, she'd make one up for him on the spot. Only calling him that if he liked it, of course.

Fives, whose subtle shift in posture made her think that he knew at least one of the boys, stood beside her as every single one of her sixteen men stood at attention. Four squads. Most training sergeants would divide them up right away, relying on a piece of flimsi to tell them the boys' abilities and where each man was best suited to be. She preferred to work with them as a group first and get to know them better that way. Cordav wanted to make sure that the squads that she would end up putting together would work perfectly. A squad was the equivalent of a machine, in a way. Even though she hated that expression with a passion. A squad that got along together worked best. Even though these boys were all identical clones, they were still completely different from each other. And there was no solid gold guarantee that they would instantly get along together. She knew 'cause she'd had to separate a few of her own brothers before.

"I'm Sergeant Skylar Cordav. Buckets off, Gentlemen," she called out, voice firm. "And at ease. This is just the introduction."

Slowly, one by one, they all took their helmets off. Clearly they hadn't been expected that. Some of them were even staring at her with wide eyes. She continued, "First lesson is a command that only I will ever use. The word is 'check.'"

Instantly, Skylar could feel Fives' eyes on her. He'd seen how fast Tor Squad had reacted to that word. And she'd known that he'd been itching to ask her or Jinx about it. "You might want to work on this too, Fives," she said over their closed comlink. Cordav didn't even bother to pay attention to his reaction.

"When I use this command, you are to freeze instantly. No matter _what_ you are doing."

One of the boys, a Republic symbol tattooed on his scalp and the upper part of his face, looked as if he were about to raise his hand.

She removed her own helmet so that they could see her face. Earning herself a few gasps. They _most definitely_ weren't expecting to be trained by a _young_ woman.

She looked at the bald clone, "Yes...?"

"Jesse, ma'am." Cordav could see that she would have to give them _that_ talk today too.

"You had a question, Jesse?"

The Mando girl could clearly see that he was a little nervous, but he dove in anyway, "Why teach us a command that our superiors will never use?"

Skylar smiled, "Good question, soldier." She turned her attention back to the rest of the men, "This command is an important part of your training. I will only use it if one of our exercises goes wrong. Pretty much, this command is for me to keep you boys from getting hurt during your training. Which is why it is imperative that you obey it. _Immediately_. Understood, gentlemen?"

The responding 'Yes, Sergeant' was staggered. She knew that she'd taken them completely by surprise with the concern in her voice. Oh well. They'd get used to it.

After two hours of yelling 'check' randomly while she had them play bolo ball, Cordav dismissed them. Making sure to praise them first. Yes, they were grown men. But even grown men liked to be patted on the back every once in a while.

As Fives made his way to Jesse, Cordav knew her suspicions were right. They'd worked together before. Probably back when Fives had been part of the 501st. That was the battalion her datapad had told her that Jesse was from. She'd still ask him about it, though.

Part of her thought that this was the reason why Zey had assigned Fives to her. So Jesse could work with someone that he knew. But she knew that wasn't it. Like she'd thought earlier, Zey didn't care _that_ much about the men.

The rest of the boys had disappeared in the direction of the mess, leaving the three of them alone in the gym. As Skylar walked over to join the two clones, Jesse instantly stood at attention and saluted. She rolled her eyes but returned the salute, "I appreciate the respect, Jess. But you don't need to keep it up, 'kay? And lay off on the 'ma'am,' will ya?"

She ignored his surprised expression. Fives chuckled softly, probably remembering when she'd snapped at him for calling her that. The young ARC was already coming around. Good.

"I suggest you boys come on to the mess. There might not be any food left by the time we get there. Knowing your brothers."

* * *

><p><em><em>aruetyc Droten = foreign Republic (foreign is often used as an insult. In fact, in Mando culture, 'foreigner' is almost always used as an insult)<em>  
><em>

_Please R&R._


	6. Dha Werda Verda

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Annie & Co. Big thanks to Depthcharge2030 and laloga for reviewing!_

* * *

><p>Two hours later and Cordav was pacing in the Arca Barracks parade ground by herself. She'd separated herself so that she could call her remaining squads. She needed to check up on them. As soon as she closed the comlink with Bravo Squad, something big and white rushed at her, almost tackling her. She sidestepped quickly, grabbed Devrin's arm, and flipped him like her <em>buir<em> had taught her all those years ago.

Laughter came from both Beta Squad and the rest of Tor Squad as the blue-haired jokester landed flat on his back. As she gave Devrin a hand up, Gabe, Beta's sergeant, gave her a meaningful look. He wanted to talk with her alone. And she had a good idea what about.

As soon as she helped Devrin dust off, she followed the other sergeant. "Gabe. What's up, _ner vod_?" she asked, rubbing his armored forearm gently. Besides Tor Squad, Beta was the only one of her squads from Kamino currently on Corrie.

"I need you to do something for me, _ori'vod_." Gabe said as he removed his helmet and ran a hand through his black curls. He looked around quickly, making sure that no one was listening.

"You want me to keep an eye on Deena and Briika while you're gone." Skylar stated calmly.

Gabe nodded. Deena was his wife. And Briika, their baby girl, was only days old. Gabe had been overly ecstatic when his daughter was born. But now that he and his squad were leaving with Jinx and his boys the next day, Gabe was afraid that something would happen to his young family.

"Don't worry, _Gab'ika_. They'll be fine. I'll check in with them whenever I can. And I'll make sure you and Deena get each other's letters too. _Udesii, ner vod'ika_." Cordav couldn't say anymore since Fives, Jesse right behind him, had just come out onto the parade ground.

Skylar had no doubts that both were good men. But she couldn't risk them finding out about her niece. Their niece. More than likely, they would say something out of the misguided sense of honor that they'd been fed on Kamino. It wasn't their fault, and she knew it.

"Hey, Sarge!" Devrin called. "How about we show the newbies the _Dha Werda_?"

Gabe chuckled and rolled his eyes, "It's a wonder he managed to escape the Kaminoans." Skylar laughed as the rest of her two squads yelled out '_Kandosii_' and '_Oya_.'

That was when the rest of her new boys came out. More than likely, they'd heard the yelling and were wondering what it was all about. All of them, Fives included, watched open-mouthed as Cordav and her boys stood in a large circle and started singing the old Mando war chant, beating the rhythm out on each other's back plates with synchronized punches. Jinx and Dover, who were on either side of her, were careful to adjust their swings for her shorter height, since the chant was always performed without helmets. And she'd been hit on the jaw by an armored fist before. But Cordav was too caught up in enjoying the moment to think on that. This might be the last time she saw some of these boys.

* * *

><p><em>Taung sa rang broka Mando'ade ka'rta.<em>

_Dha Werda Verda a'den tratu,_

_Coruscanta kandosii adu._

_Duum motir ca'tra nau tracinya._

_Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a._

_Kom'rk tsad Droten toch nyn ures adenn._

_Dha Werda Verda a'den tratu,_

_Coruscanta kandosii adu._

_Duum motir ca'tra nau tracinya._

_Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a._

Fives, Jesse, and the rest of the 'newbies,' as Dev had called them, watched in amazement as the two squads and their sergeant performed. Fives had heard of the Dha Werda, but he'd never seen it yet. It definitely was _very_ different from what he had thought.

Cordav herself seemed in her element. She took each punch Jinx and Dover aimed at her plates and returned them with an equal amount of force. Which surprised Fives. Again. He hadn't expected such a small woman to be able to punch as hard, if not harder, than a clone. Apparently, neither had the new commandos.

Both Fives and Jesse winced as Cordav received a particularly hard blow from Dover. But she just rolled with it. More squads poured out from the barracks and joined in easily as if the song had been part of their training. Well, Fives guessed that he shouldn't be surprised. Cordav had told him that most of the training sergeants on Kamino had been Mandalorian.

It wasn't long before Cordav pulled away from the group and started teaching the chant to the new boys. Fives received, and probably gave, quite a few hard punches to the jaw by accident. But he'd been too caught up in the dance, for lack of a better word. He hadn't enjoyed himself like that in a long time.

The chant went on and on until an ARC with blue Lieutenant markings on his armor came out and ordered everyone inside. But his eyes were gleaming as he gave the order. As Fives passed him, he noticed that the armor that the lieutenant was wearing was subtly different from his own. It looked like it was built to a higher spec. The other ARC wasn't an ARC after all. Fives guessed that he probably was a Null.

Fives dutifully stood waiting for his sergeant as she traded goodbyes with her two squads. Cordav hadn't dismissed him yet. As soon as Tor and Beta Squads walked off, he came to stand beside her. And she rolled her eyes. "Fives, you don't need to hang on to every little thing I do," Cordav said in exasperation as she walked to the supposed Null.

"Long time, no see, Prudii. I take it your mission was success?"

Lieutenant Prudii smiled at her, "I guess you could say that." To Fives, he looked a little older for a clone, more careworn. Nowhere near as old as 99 had looked, but... He shook his head softly.

Prudii raised his brows, "Something bothering you, son?"

Fives shook his head, "No sir. Nothing important, that is."

"Don't call me 'sir,' trooper. We're brothers. Not to mention that I _hate_ being called 'sir.'"

Fives was beginning to think that was a Mando thing.

Cordav chuckled as she placed her helmet back on her head. "You'll tell Kal and your brothers that I asked about them?"

The Null nodded and walked in the direction of the main gates. Probably had a mission in the city, Fives guessed.

Cordav pulled him aside right before they reached the sleeping quarters, "Fives, can I speak with you a minute, _vod'ika_?"

Instantly, Fives was on edge. What was this all about?

"Yes, Sarge," he said hesitatingly.

"Drop the Sarge. When we're not training, and when the _Jetiise_ aren't around, I want you to call me Skylar. And I don't want you to follow me around waiting for orders. You're your own man. You can decide for yourself what you should be doing."

That caught him off guard even more than every other strange thing she'd already done.

"Yes, Sar-" Fives caught himself. No matter how strange it was, that was still an order. "Yes, Skylar."

The woman patted his forearm before disappearing into her quarters.

* * *

><p><em>Dha Werda Verda = Rage of the Shadow Warriors<em>

_The ash of the Taung beats strong within the Mandalorians' heart._  
><em> We are the rage of The Warriors of the Shadow,<em>  
><em> The first noble sons of Coruscant.<em>  
><em> Let all those who stand before us light the night sky in flame.<em>  
><em> Our vengeance burns brighter still.<em>

_The gauntlet of the Republic strikes without mercy._  
><em> We are the rage of The Warriors of the Shadow,<em>  
><em> The first noble sons of Coruscant.<em>  
><em> Let all those who stand before us light the night sky in flame.<em>  
><em> Our vengeance burns brighter still.<em>

_(Jango had changed the words of this song a little to make the commandos more loyal to the Republic)_

_Udesii = Easy, calm_

_ori'vod = big sister or big brother_

_Kandosii = Excellent or classy_

_Oya = Let's roll! (also means 'Let's hunt!')_

_Jetiise = Jedi (in the plural)  
><em>

_Please R&R._


	7. Mission

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co. Big thanks to Depthcharge2030 and laloga for reviewing!_

* * *

><p>Skylar again found herself unable to sleep. Jesse and Fives hold told her and Tor Squad about Umbara. And she'd been <em>furious<em>. How had no one even guessed that Krell was _dar'jetii_?

As soon as she laid down, she was crying for all the boys who'd lost their lives because of that _hut'uunla_ Besalisk traitor. She'd never known them, but that didn't matter to her. They were still _vode_. Simple as that.

And coupled with the fact that she'd just lost four of her own boys...

Cordav sat bolt upright and grabbed her flute. She'd rather wake Jinx or Gabe to talk with them instead of playing her instrument, but she didn't dare. They'd be shipping out in about two hours. They needed their sleep.

And Kal and his Nulls still weren't back from their night on the town.

So, after pocketing her handheld comlink, she headed back to the gym. Completely unaware that she wasn't the only one unable to sleep. A small sound of someone shifting uneasily made her jerk before she'd even stepped through the doorway. She hefted her flute like a spear and launched it at the sound. The pointed end of the instrument embedded itself in a crate a calculated handspan away from whoever was up. The muted curse told her that it was Jesse. Even though she'd only heard his voice once, she was so attuned to the clones themselves that she knew without a doubt that it was him.

Cordav reached to the wall beside her and flipped the light control. "_Jes'ika_. What in the _manda_ are you doing up?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Sergeant," the bald clone answered, still eying the flute embedded in the crate he must have been sitting on only seconds before.

Cordav chuckled as she walked over and yanked the instrument out. She inspected it, making sure that no pieces of cheap metal got inside. The flute was a traditional Mandalorian _bes'bev_. She wasn't worried about anything happening to it, aside from the paint getting scratched. The crate , however, was a different story.

Cordav sat and motioned for Jesse to do the same. "Can't sleep, _vod'ika_?"

At his confused expression she explained, "Means 'little brother.' And I called you 'little Jesse' before that."

"Fives told me that you think of us as your brothers, Sarge," Jesse said, wasting no time in getting right to the point.

Before she could elaborate, her com went off. "Cordav here." It was Zey. Why in the nine hells of Corellia would he be comming her at 0300? She got up and paced as he gave her details. "Okay, General. I'll get those boys together and we'll meet you in the briefing room at 0330. Cordav out."

"What's going on, Sarge?"

She shook her head, "Go back to bed, Jesse. I've got to wake up Fives, Beta, and Tor."

"If it's a mission, I can go. I'm more than capable." Jesse seemed eager to show that he was commando material. But Skylar knew better. He'd served with Fives. The former trooper didn't want to let the younger ARC out of his sight now that he himself was surrounded by strangers. And the Mando woman understood. She'd felt the same way the day she'd woken up to find that her boys and the rest of the commandos had been shipped out to Geonosis.

Both were in their red commando issue fatigues, so Cordav was able to squeeze his arm gently, "I know, Jess. But this kind of fighting is completely different from what you've faced so far. Patience, _ner vod_. It won't be long until you're the sergeant of your own squad."

"Me? Sergeant?"

Cordav nodded, "You got the makings of one for sure. But for now, you need to go back to bed."

* * *

><p>Fives woke to someone gently shaking him. Cordav.<p>

"C'mon _F'ika_. We got a mission. Get yourself ready and I'll see you at the briefing room at 0330." He hadn't been expected her to be wearing fatigues styled after his and the rest of the commandos. But he guessed he shouldn't be surprised. He glanced at the chronometer on the Barracks wall. Half an hour to pack his gear. More than enough time.

Jesse came in and sat on the edge of his bed, "She's definitely the _strangest_ officer we've served under."

"That's true. You going too, Jesse?" the ARC Trooper asked, not bothering to look up from the armor plates he was putting on.

"No. But she did say that she's going to make me a sergeant."

Half an hour later and Fives met Tor and Beta Squads outside of the briefing room. He didn't have time to ask what they were doing there. General Zey slipped into the room, Captain Maze on his heels and Cordav right behind the two.

As soon as all of them were seated, "Okay, Zey. How in the galaxy did Kenobi and Skywalker manage to get themselves _kidnapped_? I thought they were the Order's best." That was a shock to Fives.

Maze shot the young woman a very disapproving glare, but she ignored him. Her irritated eyes on the General.

Who gave the Alpha ARC a calming look before meeting Cordav's eyes, "We don't know that, Skylar. All we know is that they, Skywalker's Padawan, and CT-7567-"

"Captain Rex," Fives corrected automatically. If looks could kill, Maze would surely have murdered him by now. Zey looked a little astonished that Fives would speak up like that. Even the younger ARC couldn't believe what he'd just done.

He was about to apologize, but Skylar smirked and spoke up before he could, "As you were saying, General?

General Zey cleared his throat, "Well, as I was saying, the four of them were on a mission to Zygerria to locate the missing Togruta colonists from Kiros. General Kenobi was supposed to check in at 1200 yesterday."

"But he didn't. So our job is to find out what happened," Skylar said, interrupting. "There is _no_ need to risk the lives of two squads. I can handle this on my own, Zey." And that was the last straw for Captain Maze.

"Sergeant Cordav," he practically barked. "You _will_ address the General with _respect_. If you do not, I _will_ court-martial you." He glared at Fives as well, making it clear that the warning was for him too.

"At ease, Captain. The sergeant means no harm. Why don't you take a break?" Zey suggested calmly. "Your shift ended hours ago, Maze."

The captain nodded and stalked out the door. "_Ori'buyce, kih'kovid_," Devrin spoke up over the private com channel, earning a sharp reprimand over the same channel from Jinx. But Tor Squad's sergeant was chuckling himself. Fives would have to remember to ask what that phrase meant later.

As it was, he was too worried about what might have happened to his former commanding officers to ask.

At least they were getting a more reliable ship than the old cargo clunker.

* * *

><p><em>dar'jetii = no longer a jedi (usually in reference to Dark Jedi)<br>_

_hut'uunla = cowardly (in the Mando culture, a coward is the lowest form of life and to be called one is the worst possible insult. A coward is not only one who is too afraid to fight, it is also someone who thinks about himself before his people.)_

_manda = the Mandalorian collective oversoul_

_Okay, since I'm gonna try to follow the story arc as closely as I can, it may be a little while between updates.  
><em>

_Please R&R._


	8. Schematics

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co. Big thanks to laloga and Depthcharge2030 for reviewing!  
><em>

* * *

><p>A day to get to Zygerria. Plenty of time for Cordav to teach Fives how to fight dirty. He'd need to learn sooner rather than later. Skylar had both received and had been given these same lessons many times before. She even remembered the day when her <em>buir<em> had first started teaching her the basics of brawling. That had been seven years before Kamino, so she'd only been four years old at the time. Biologically the same age her boys had been when _buir_ started with them. They'd caught on a lot faster than she had, though.

For the third time that hour, Fives landed flat on his back after she flipped him. "Quit going for the obvious kill, _F'ika_," the woman said as both of her squads chuckled to themselves. Devrin was laughing so hard that he didn't even see the glare that the young ARC sent his way.

Fives' dark eyes met her own as she gave him a hand up, "Where did you learn to fight like this, Sar-" He paused, correcting himself. "Skylar?"

She shook her head and came at him again. This time, he evaded her. Both of them were in Mando flight suits. The plan was that Skylar and Fives, who would also be wearing Mando armor, would seek an audience with the queen while Tor and Beta set themselves up close enough to Scintel's palace to create a diversion. Or to save their _shebse_, if need be.

Out of all of them, the young ARC and the woman sergeant had the hardest part. Somehow, they had to get the Zygerrian Queen to trust them enough to reveal what had happened to the three Jedi and the clone captain. Which was why the sparring session was necessary. Skylar was more than capable of acting the part of an arrogant bounty hunter. She'd had plenty of practice. But Fives... He still needed some work. He carried himself like a soldier and it showed. So, in between punches, Cordav had been giving him tips on how to act like a True Mando warrior, including teaching him some _Mando'a_ phrases. As Devrin made fun of him, of course.

She rolled her eyes at the still laughing clone before looking back at Fives who was watching her warily. She'd already knocked the breath out of him once for letting his guard down. "_Ke barjurir gar'ade, jagyc'ade kot'la a dalyc'ade kotla'shya_."

"You do know that I don't understand a word of what you just said, right?" Fives asked, irritated. He was getting impatient with her. She used that to pull a feint and he fell for it. This time, she caused him to land flat on his stomach.

"Train your sons to be strong but your daughters to be stronger. Old Mando proverb," Skylar said, helping him up as her boys laughed again. "When my _buir_, my father, was still alive, he trained me right alongside these nutters," she said, inclining her head towards the two squads. "But he was _a lot_ harder on me."

"Why?"

"Women are the backbone of our society, Fives. Whenever you see a strong Mando man, there's often an even stronger Mando woman behind him. It was once the ladies' job to protect the homefires while the menfolk were away. Granted some girls, like me, go off to fight. But the idea's still the same. That, and us girls are less likely to be preyed upon if we can fight harder than our brothers." And her hard training had helped to prepare her for training the boys when Papa had passed. She didn't voice that last piece of information 'cause she just didn't want to deal with her emotions right then.

Fives nodded, digesting the information. Skylar knew that, like all his brothers, he wouldn't forget. Clones had good memories rivaling even those of her people. No surprise since they were, in a way, Jango Fett's descendants.

Fives threw a punch, but she caught it easily. He was holding back. Which was why she'd owned him so far. "C'mon, _vod'ika_. _Nar dralshy'a_. Try harder. Not wearing armor doesn't make me fragile. _Verd ori'shya beskar'gam_. A warrior is more than armor."

Devrin laughed again and Cordav rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about him, Fives." Said trooper was almost glaring at the blue-haired jokester.

"_Kaysh mirsh solus_," Doz, Beta's ordnance man and squad clown, stage whispered, earning a disgruntled 'Hey!' from Tor's tech expert and deep laughs from the rest of the clones. Except for Fives, who was giving Skylar _the look_ again. The one he _always_ gave when he got irritated or frustrated.

"His brain cell's lonely," Cordav said for the ARC's benefit and Fives chuckled. It was the first time she'd actually heard him laugh. And she found herself chuckling with him.

Before she knocked him flat again, of course.

* * *

><p>Inwardly, Fives marveled at Cordav. When he'd first seen her fight and then watched her perform the <em>Dha Werda Verda<em>, he'd been impressed with her tenacity. But that was when she'd been wearing armor. Now that they were both in flight suits, he couldn't help being awestruck. He'd managed to give her quite a number of good punches, hits that would have flattened a normal man, but she just took them with no more than a quiet grunt. And then she'd hit him back just as hard. And what she'd told him about Mandos training their daughters harder... Well, that made sense now.

An hour later and Skylar called _endex_. End of exercise. She'd slapped his back, telling him that he was doing _ori'jate_, very good, then gathered her eight boys in a circle. And then she'd made sure that Fives was right beside her. Which confused him. She'd told him not to hang on to every little thing she did... But here she was, watching his every move. The simple truth was that his sergeant never acted in a way that he expected. And it frustrated him.

"Okay, gentlemen." She projected a holographic schematic of what looked to be a palace from her left glove. "This is Miraj Scintel's palace." Skylar pointed out two locations with her right hand, "These are the two main servant entrances." Cordav pointed to the one at the northern end of the schematic, "Jinx, you and your boys will need to position yourselves somewhere near here. Gabe, you and your boys need to get as close to the southern entrance as you possibly can. Make sure you both get an adequate distraction ready. If we need assistance, I'll send an SOS. But should we need those diversions, I'll send you the _take_ command. Both via _dadita_."

Fives gave her another irritated glance, "You must really like not being understood." Devrin and Doz chuckled, but both immediately stopped at the glare Cordav leveled at them.

Said woman turned her frosty brown gaze on him and Fives found himself wishing that he'd kept his mouth shut. Now that he knew what she capable of, he knew that crossing her would be the last thing he'd ever want to do.

But she seemed in a forgiving mood at that moment, "_Dadita_ is a type of code. Just a series of clicks which can be conveyed through anything. Anything from an old rusty pipe to static on a helmet comlink. It's old-fashioned soldiering, _F'ika_. Only Mandos understand it. Mandos, and people trained by us, that is." Her tone had softened somewhat and she smirked at him. If Jinx hadn't chuckled, Fives wouldn't have realized that she'd been _mock_ glaring. Like a sister would do with a brother. Or so he'd been told.

_This just doesn't make sense._ Why would Cordav care so much for a clone she barely knew? Fives could understand her caring for the boys she and her father had trained. She'd practically grown up with them. But to extend that same care toward him... The ARC trooper was completely out of his element. And Skylar knew it. All of them did.

Quirk patted his back, "You'll get used to it, _vod'ika_. She won't give you much of a choice anyways."

Top, Beta's sniper, spoke up, "What kind of distraction will you be needing, _S'ika_?"

Cordav smiled, "Preferably one with a _big_ bang. Quirk and Doz, that's your area of expertise. Make me proud."

"Yes, ma'am!" Fives couldn't tell if the two were serious, or just teasing her. From Skylar's grimace, he guessed that it was the latter.

* * *

><p><em>Please R&amp;R.<em>


	9. K'oyacyi

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co. Big thanks to Depthcharge2030 and laloga for reviewing!_

_If you want to see a picture of Skylar, it's on my profile!_

* * *

><p>They had five standard hours before they reached Zygerria. Cordav had ordered all of them to get some rest. They'd need it.<p>

Fives fell asleep easily, but he instantly woke up panting, heart racing. He'd been dreaming of Lola Sayu and Umbara. His subconscious mind had cruelly twisted the two events so thoroughly together into the worst nightmare the young ARC had ever had.

That was when he realized that he wasn't alone in his cabin. Even though he knew it had to be one of the commandos, or even Cordav, he aimed his blaster at the doorway out of pure reflex.

"_Udesii_, _F'ika_," the Mando said soothingly. "'S just me."

Skylar was a bunch of contradictions. She could be hard, like she'd been on him earlier while she'd trained with him. Then, she could be soft. Like now. And Fives found her a lot more approachable than Sergeant Bric. Even more so than El-Les. She was even more laid back than General Shaak Ti.

But Fives just couldn't understand what she was doing coming into _his_ cabin when she had one of her own.

"_What_ are you doing in here, Sarge?" he asked, using her title automatically.

She ignored the slip, "Just checking on you, _vod'ika_. Making my rounds like I usually do." She sat carefully on the edge of his bed. "You okay? Looked like you were having a bad dream."

"I'm f-"

He jerked in surprise when she put her finger on his lips, "Don't say that you're fine, Fives. Especially when I _know_ that you're not." She removed her finger from his face, "And don't try to distract me like you managed to do the last time. 'Cause it won't work now, _F'ika_." She talked to him as if she'd known him his whole life. It was unnerving.

He gave her the barest facts, hoping it would satisfy her, "I lost my closest brother not long before Umbara."

That seemed to shut his sergeant up for a moment. When she spoke again, her voice was softer than he'd ever heard before. "What was his name?" she asked, as she rubbed his forearm comfortingly. Which only succeeded in making Fives even more uncomfortable. He wasn't used to being comforted. He'd never been comforted until right then.

Cordav must have felt him tensing, because she pulled her arm back and clasped her hands in her lap, "Sorry, Fives."

"It's... okay. And his name was Echo."

"Why did you call him that?" She shifted uncertainly. "That is, if you don't mind my asking." He'd never seen her act like this. Usually, Cordav was the picture of command. Completely confident in all that she did. But now... That facade was completely gone. But that wasn't what shocked him. She was _afraid_ of _upsetting_ him.

"Uh..." Fives hesitated, then dove in, "Well, when we were still in training, Echo had a _really_ bad habit of repeating orders. And he was always quoting the reg manuals. Got on our nerves a lot. Hevy gave him that nickname, just to taunt him."

"And it stuck," Cordav said quietly. "Hevy was one of your squadmates too, wasn't he?"

Fives nodded, his eyes now completely adjusted to the ship's dim emergency lighting. He found that talking to Cordav about his lost brothers actually helped calm him. Even though it hurt. He quickly looked away from her.

Skylar must have seen his expression. Her tone softened further, "I know, Fives. I've lost my _buir_ and twenty-four of my boys. Four of them very recently." _So that's why she was so upset on the way back to Coruscant._ "That kind of hurt never goes away, no matter how much time has passed." She made as if to rub his arm again, but caught herself. "I've got to repaint my _beskar'gam_. You're more than welcome to come help me if you can't get back to sleep, _vod'ika_."

Cordav ruffled his hair before she silently walked out. Fives hadn't realized until then that she was barefoot. Why he would notice that, he would never know.

Half an hour later and the young ARC gave up on sleep. It wasn't going to happen and there was no use fighting.

He heard snatches of some kind of singing coming from the main hold of the large ship. A woman's voice. Cordav sang too softly for him to catch the words, but he guessed that it had to be another Mando song. Fives had wondered at first why she'd needed to repaint her armor, but then he remembered the bluff she'd pulled on the Seppie control ship. Her helmet's paint scheme was very distinctive. And since she hadn't reported to Viszla or Dooku, like she'd told the droids, someone was bound to notice her. In a way that they didn't want to be noticed.

All was quiet as he walked through the ship. Skylar must have made her 'rounds' often if the other clones were still asleep. Fives guessed that they were very used to her checking on them since it hadn't disturbed them.

Never before had anyone ever bothered to take the time to make sure that he was okay. Aside from a handful of brothers, that is. But never an outsider.

But, like Quirk had said, he had no choice but to get used to it. He was stuck with Skylar indefinitely. General Zey hadn't specified for how long Fives would be assigned to the Mando sergeant. And Fives found himself hoping that he'd get to serve with her for the remainder of the war. _However long that is_, he thought sarcastically.

Right as he made it to the doorway to the main hold, a deeper voice, which Fives guessed was Gabe, started singing with Cordav. His voice mingled effortlessly with hers, as if they'd spent hours practicing. The song sounded like some kind of lament.

_Naasad'guur mhi_

_Naasad'guur mhi_

_Naasad'guur mhi_

_Mhi n'ulu_

_Mhi Mando'ade,_

_Kandosii'ade,_

_Teh Manda'yaim,_

_Mando'ade._

Fives leaned quietly against the bulkhead and watched them as he listened. Cordav looked to be about done repainting her plates. Gabe was mixing what looked like more paint. One container of blue, the other brown.

"I don't think blue and brown go with bright orange," Fives said, motioning to the armor that Skylar had laid around her to dry. "Not unless you want to look like the wrong end of a bantha."

Gabe chuckled, "That's because these aren't paint. These're hair dye." He picked up the smaller container of blue and looked mischievously up at Fives, "And this one is for you. Compliments of Devrin."

"There is no way-" the younger clone began indignantly.

Only to be cut off by Skylar's laughter. Gabe joined in and it was a few minutes before either one could catch their breath. Fives didn't think it was funny. No way was he going let them dye his hair _blue_. Jesse would never let him live it down. Neither would Devrin.

"_Udesii_, _F'ika_," Cordav said, when she could finally breathe, "The blue is actually iris dye for the both of us. If we're going to pretend to be brother and sister, we need to at least look it. Since the Zygerrians, and most of the galaxy for that matter, have conveniently forgotten our habit of adopting," Fives knew that the 'our' meant 'us Mandos.' Skylar often used that particular pronoun in reference to her people. "That, and if Scintel managed to get a good look at Rex... Well, your big browns are kind of a giveaway, _ner vod_."

That did make sense. However... "But what's the brown dye for, then?"

Skylar rolled her eyes, "Not easily deterred, are you? That's for _your_ hair." At his expression, she and Gabe chuckled again.

"Don't worry, _vod'ika_," Gabe managed to say reassuringly, even though he was still biting back laughter, "It's all temporary stuff. It'll wash out."

Skylar shook her head at Beta's sergeant, "You might want to head back to bed, _Gab'ika_. You're getting slap happy. Your squad's gonna need you to be focused tomorrow."

The older clone nodded his head, "'Kay, Sky. _K'oyacyi_."

"Right back at you, Gabe," Skylar said fondly as the other sergeant made his way to his cabin.

Cordav looked up at Fives, over to the dyes, then back up at him, and smirked, "Before the true torture begins... Any last words?" she asked mischievously, her own brown eyes twinkling.

Fives rolled his eyes, and found himself laughing. He calmed quickly, though, his curiosity stronger than his amusement, "I do have one question, actually. What did that mean?"

She raised her brows, "_K'oyacyi_? It means 'stay alive.'"

* * *

><p><em>Naasad'guur mhi<em>

_Naasad'guur mhi_

_Naasad'guur mhi_

_Mhi n'ulu_

_Mhi Mando'ade,_

_Kandosii'ade,_

_Teh Manda'yaim,_

_Mando'ade._

_No one likes us,_

_No one likes us,_

_No one likes us,_

_We don't care._

_We are Mandos,_

_The elite boys,_

_Mando boys,_

_From Mandalore._

_Please R&R._


	10. Incognito

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co. Big thanks to laloga for reviewing!_

* * *

><p>Several hours later and a brown-haired, blue-eyed Fives stood in the main hold in full Mando armor painted a subdued green, helmet tucked under his arm at his side. Waiting for his sergeant to finally 'grace him with her presence,' as Dover had jokingly said. She was fussing with her hair, according to Hew, Beta's quiet tech expert. Why it would take a woman so long for such a minor detail...? Fives was about ready to bang down the 'fresher door. And that thought was what brought him up short. He was getting too comfortable around Cordav. Never before had he <em>ever<em> thought of being disrespectful to a superior. Except for Krell, of course...

Fives ran his gloved hand over his now brown goatee impatiently. It was a nervous habit that he was picking up from Top, who also had a goatee. The only difference between the two was that Top's head was clean-shaven like Jesse's.

Fives was pulled out of his thoughts when a thermal det flew in the air in front of his face. His only instinct was to drop to the deck, head covered by his arms. _I'm dead. They've found us!_

But the deep chuckles of laughter from most of the two squads made him realize that he was very much alive. Jinx, who was right beside him on the floor, growled in irritation as he pulled himself up, "What's the big idea, Doz? Do you _want_ to blow us to kingdom come?"

Doz chuckled. The rest of the men were still laughing hard, trying unsuccessfully to gain some semblance of control. "Easy, Sarge. It's deactivated," Beta's ordnance man said smugly, as he tossed the explosive device to Tor's sergeant, who flinched, but caught it. "See. Completely safe."

Gabe, finally under control, whacked the back of his head, "Just because it's 'safe,' _di'kut_,' doesn't mean you should go around _throwing_ explosives like a _di'kutla_ Weequay. And Jinx asked you a question."

Doz rolled his eyes, "Fives was getting a little dreamy-eyed over there. I'd figured that I'd snap him out of it so that he could tell us what he's dreaming about." He waggled his eyebrows mischievously, "Or _who_ he's thinking of." That remark earned him a scathing glare from the younger clone. Fives _hadn't_ been thinking of anyone. Except for how much he liked working with Cordav so far... But he wasn't thinking of the young woman in the way that Doz had been insinuating. That was unprofessional. She was his commanding officer.

Doz got an evil glint in his eye. Thankfully, that was the time when a blue-eyed Skylar decided to join them. She took one look around her, eyes lingering on Fives a little longer than necessary before she zeroed in on Doz. 'Eyes in her backside,' Quirk had said once. He'd got it right.

"What did you do this time, you _or'dinii_?" she asked in exasperation. "You do realize that you're distracting us from the mission at hand. _Focus_, little brother." Her face and her tone softened, "I'm not gonna lose you because you weren't paying attention. I trained you," she turned back to the rest of her boys and her voice strengthened, "I trained you all better than that. Use what I taught you and no stupid stuff. _Eleck_?"

"Yes, Sky," all eight answered her, almost in chorus.

She nodded her head, then came and tucked her arm in Fives', acting the part of the little sister. It only elicited quiet chuckles from Devrin and Doz.

Cordav ignored that, "Fives and I will distract the guards. I'll send you the _all clear_ once they're looking away from the ship. Devrin will black out the cameras on that signal. And don't let yourselves to be seen. _K'oyacyi, ner aliit_."

She pulled her helmet on with her spare hand and Fives followed suit.

* * *

><p>"Mandalorians? I thought your people condemned the slave trade, Chieftainness."<p>

"It's just 'Chieftain, your Majesty," Skylar responded calmly and respectfully. When all she wanted to do was to rip Scintel apart, limb from limb. People who traded other beings, other _people_, like they were items were themselves _hu'tuune_. Cowards. The lowest form of life. They deserved a death sentence. These kind of people were not tolerated in her culture. Not at _all_.

As soon as they'd entered the throne room, Fives had almost given them away. When he saw Skywalker standing behind the queen's throne, lightsaber on his belt, he'd almost frozen in surprise. She'd managed to talk him out of it over their private com channel, even though she'd been a little shocked too. But since Skywalker's Padawan, Captain, and former Master were nowhere to be seen, Cordav guessed that the queen was using them for leverage against the 'Chosen One.'

Skywalker himself stiffened as soon as he'd recognized their armor. His expression then turned confused. He must have recognized Fives' presence.

Both Jinx and Gabe had just reported that they and their squads were in position, so Skylar pulled her helmet off and Fives did the same. Skywalker stiffened further. Regardless of the hair and eye dyes, and the fact that the trooper's tattoo was temporarily gone, he _knew_ it was Fives. Cordav saw this in her peripheral view, as she was being careful to keep her gaze on the Zygerrian queen. She was the threat. Skylar just hoped that the _Jetii_ wouldn't accidently give them away.

"Regardless, your Highness," she began sweetly, with just a touch of venom in her voice. Letting the queen know that she wasn't someone to be crossed without openly threatening her. "We care for the _Jetiise_ even less than you do. When I'd heard that you had managed to capture two of their best Knights... Well, I had to see for myself."

"Are you insinuating that my agents are liars, Chieftain Toran?" the queen said suspiciously.

Cordav almost rolled her eyes, "Not at all. I simply meant that I was impressed." She paused a moment to let that sink in. Fives moved a little closer to her, eying the guards with a hand on his blaster pistol. Just like a big brother. The queen raised her eyebrows.

"You'll have to forgive my older brother, Queen Miraj. Kot is extremely protective," she sent Fives an annoyed look, like they'd practiced. Fives nodded, turning his attention back to the queen, but still keeping a hand on the butt of his pistol. He nodded respectfully to the Zygerrian monarch.

"He is a fine specimen," the queen purred, eying Fives appreciatively. And Skylar found herself wanting to shoot Scintel right then. Which was was her normal knee-jerk reaction whenever someone talked down about her boys. What wasn't normal, was that the Mando woman also thought of the scalping the Zygerrian woman alive for even _thinking_ about the ARC in such a way. She hadn't realized just how _overprotective_ she'd gotten over Fives in the few days that she'd known him. _What in the manda? Focus, Skylar._

She had to force herself to stay calm, "So are Jedi. At least as slaves."

Scintel narrowed her eyes, "What are you playing at, Chieftain? Mandalorians _do not_ take slaves. Your people _kill_ slavers," the queen finished, her tone hard and her expression furious. Skywalker's eyes widened. This information was new to him.

"I am merely suggesting that I could take Kenobi off your hands."

"And free him so that he could lead the Republic here?"

This time, Skylar actually did roll her eyes, "Don't _takis_ me. If I'd wanted the Republic to squash you, Scintel, which I _don't_, I would have lead them here myself." Her tone grew colder and calculating, but far from threatening, "But since I haven't, that means I'm here for personal reasons."

Scintel was now hooked, even if the Zygerrian female didn't know it. "And that would be...?"

"Think about it. I'm already a clan Chieftain. If I were to have a Jedi like Kenobi under my command... Well, I could easily rise to the position of _Mand'alor_. And, if you do me this 'little' favor, you'll have _all_ of _Manda'yaim_'s warriors on your side. Including all of my people in diaspora across the galaxy. _Millions_. Not even Dooku would dare to cross us."

"But why Kenobi? Why not, say... Skywalker?" Scintel asked, turning pride filled eyes to her most recent captive. Who glared right back at her.

Cordav screwed her face in a show disgust, "He's too unpredictable. At least for me." She chuckled darkly, enviously, "But you seem to have him completely wrapped around your fingers, Highness. Very impressive, I might add." She kept her emotions calm and reassuring so the _Jetii_ could sense that she was there to help. Skylar didn't care much for the _Jetiise_ in general, but this was part of her mission. The sooner she could get this one to cooperate with her, the more likely it was that all nine of her boys would be able to walk away from this.

The last little compliment managed to earn her a smirk from the queen. _Yes! We're in!_ _Vor'e._ Skylar almost breathed a sigh of relief. Almost.

* * *

><p><em>or'dinii = complete idiot<em>

__K'oyacyi, ner aliit = Stay safe, my family__

__Jetii = Jedi (in the singular)__

__Jetiise = Jedi (in the plural)__

__manda = Mandalorian collective oversoul__

_takis = insult_

_Mand'alor = Chieftain of Chieftains_

_Manda'yaim = Mandalore_

_Vor'e = Thanks_

_Please R&R._


	11. Power

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co. Big thanks to Kishadow, laloga, and Depthcharge2030 for reviewing!_

_Merry Christmas to everyone! God bless!_

* * *

><p>After Skylar and Scintel spent almost an hour discussing the details of their tentative alliance in private, she and Fives were now being given a tour of the palace before they and their Zygerrian guide left for Kadavo.<p>

Cordav rolled her eyes, extremely thankful for the privacy of her helmet. These _hut'uune_ put too much importance on _things_. They thought that the more they owned, including slaves, the more powerful they were. And they were not above boasting about it. And they _especially_ didn't know how _wrong_ they were.

Mandalorians, True _Mando'ade_ and not the _hut'uunla_ Death Watch or noodle-backed New Mandalorians, valued their families above _everything_ else. That was were true power lay. Because of this, any True Mando, even a complete stranger, was immediate family. Even if they didn't agree or were working for opposing factors. That was why her people had lasted for millenia. Why they'd almost conquered the galaxy once. And why they'd managed to hang on to existence even after losing most of their best _verde_ at Galidraan. Their unity was their lifestyle. All Mandalorians thought of their people, their _vode_, first. Which made them completely different from the _osikla_ Republic. She'd heard of one or two Senators that had actually killed _family_ members.

"Just out of curiosity, which room is Skywalker's?" Fives asked, showing just a little _too_ much interest in his voice.

Skylar opened the private channel, "No offense, _F'ika_, but you're about as subtle as a bantha. Leave the talking to me, _gedet'ye_. _Please_." Both Tor and Beta Squads laughed from their positions, holed up in the sewers close to the servant entrances.

Fives huffed, but said nothing. And Cordav found herself _very_ close to chuckling again. This was why she liked clones _a lot_ more than normal people. Not only were they more open and honest, even disarming in their own way, they could make her laugh without even trying. Even typically stubborn ARCs. She wasn't about to tell Fives that, though. No sense in irritating him further. It would only make her laugh and distract them both from the mission at hand.

Their guide raised an eyebrow at the green-armored man in suspicion, and Cordav spoke up, hoping to correct the young clone's lapse, "My brother only asked since it seems highly unusual that the queen would let such a prize out of her sight." She knew that she was making Fives look like a dumb barbarian, but as long as it fooled their enemies...

The Zygerrian man chuckled under his breath, "You guessed right, Chieftain. The Jedi slave's quarters are connected to Her Majesty's. That, in fact, is part of your tour. Her Highness truly values your alliance, as she trusts you enough to allow you to lay eyes on her chambers."

_Kandosii._ Skylar opened the link to Fives helmet again with another blink at the icon displayed in her HUD, "Perfect opportunity. You still got that bead comlink, Fives?"

"Yes, Skylar," he said. Even though Fives was no longer calling her 'ma'am' or 'Sarge,' he still managed to make her first name sound _exact_ly like both of those irritating titles. _He still needs to loosen up._ _A lot._

"Okay, as soon as we step in there, I'll distract the _di'kut_ and you drop it on the floor. The General will know what it is." Another reason why she loved _buy'cese_. You could yell to your heart's content and no one would be the wiser. Hence the reason that _aruetiise_ believed that Mandos were silent death in battle. That was far from the truth. She herself was given to muttering if a fight was fierce.

* * *

><p>Half an hour later and Fives, Cordav, and their Zygerrian guide were on their way to Kadavo, Beta Squad holed up in their ship's smuggling compartments. How the four commandos managed to get back aboard without anyone seeing them... Fives had no idea. Cordav and her father had taught them very well, apparently. He was earnestly looking forward to learning Cordav's tricks.<p>

Tor Squad was effectively stranded on Zygerria, awaiting General Skywalker's orders. Skylar had not liked the idea, but Jinx had somehow managed to talk her into it. So, all four members of Tor Squad were still lying in that sewer. And Fives did not envy them. He only wished that Beta Squad had stayed behind. Doz had dropped in a few more not so subtle hints about him and Cordav. The young ARC had come _very_ close to strangling Beta's ordnance expert, had Skylar not intervened. She'd then proceeded to give Doz a fierce talking to. Judging by the other clone's tone when he responded to her, he hadn't been expecting it. In fact, none of them had.

Speaking of Tor Squad, "Sarge, this is Jinx. Over." Cordav had insisted on keeping their private comlink channel open. Therefore, Fives could hear every breath from her and both squads. It was distracting, but the commandos and their training sergeant were used to it. Skylar had pointed out that the original commando squads had only been around other squads during training exercises. Each squad had grown up surrounded only by their squad brothers, their helmet comlinks _always_ open to each other. The way she'd talked about that... Fives realized that she was jealous of that closeness. And he couldn't blame her, because he was finally beginning to understand. She had no one else besides them, which was why she'd latched on to him and her new trainees so quickly.

"I hear you loud and clear, Jinx. What's up?" Skylar asked, even though Fives was certain that she knew what was going on. She'd ordered com silence until General Skywalker activated the bead comlink, or one of them was threatened. Since Tor's sergeant sounded calm, Fives knew that it was the former.

"Sergeant Cordav, I presume? This is General Skywalker." The young ARC breathed a sigh of relief, even though the mission was far from over. He almost greeted the Jedi himself, but General Skywalker had not addressed him.

"_Su'cuy gar_, General. I trust that Jinx gave you the details, sir?" Skylar said. And Fives couldn't help staring at her wide-eyed and open-mouthed, even though she couldn't see his expression. He hadn't expected Cordav to speak to General Skywalker so respectfully. Maybe it had to do with the fact that the young General was an unknown to her. She knew just how far she could push General Zey. General Skywalker, _his_ General, was a different matter.

"Yes, Sergeant. What I don't understand is how _six_ people are going to rescue Obi-Wan and Rex. They're bound to be surrounded by an _army_. That, and there are _fifty-thousand_ Togruta hostages that need to be rescued as well."

Fives could practically hear his sergeant's eyes roll as she huffed, "I'm well aware of that. Special Operations, sir. That means _specially_ trained. We commandos and ARCs face impossible odds daily. Just part of the job description. Ask Zey." she said, with just a touch of sarcasm in her voice. _Now that's more like the Skylar I know._

"You sound just like my apprentice," Skywalker said distractedly. Fives couldn't help a small chuckle. Commander Tano was well known for her snippy attitude towards her Master.

And Skylar immediately resorted back to her old ways completely, "_Focus_, Skywalker. I'm counting on _you_ to make sure that four of _my_ boys make it off that _dar'yaim_ alive. If you waste their lives..." she trailed off threateningly.

That was when Fives realized that she did _more_ than care about the men. She had no fear for herself because she valued their lives, _clone_ lives, far above her own. Which was why she found it so easy to talk to Jedi in the way that she did without a second thought. And, judging by how she'd stiffened when Queen Scintel had eyed him lustfully, Fives knew that she was just as protective of him. No matter that she was Mandalorian, now matter how strange she was, Sergeant Skylar Cordav was an officer worth following. At the same level as General Skywalker, in his opinion.

Knowing Skylar, though, she'd resent being compared to a Jedi.

* * *

><p><em>hut'uune = cowards<em>

_verde = warriors_

_vode = brothers and sisters_

_gedet'ye = please_

_Kandosii = Excellent_

_di'kut = idiot_

_Su'cuy gar = So you're still alive (formal Mando greeting)_

_dar'yaim = dead world_

_Please R&R._


	12. Orphaned

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co. Big thanks to laloga for reviewing!_

* * *

><p><strong>Kiros, two days prior...<strong>

Four year old Teanna had been outside her family's home, playing most of the day with her new ball that her parents had just given her for her birthday, when the sound of something _big_ made her look up at the sky. It was the biggest ship the little Togruta had ever seen. And it looked almost like one of her dad's boots.

She was so focused on the ship that when her father came out and grabbed her, Teanna almost screamed. Her mother ushered the both of them inside and Daddy placed her in Mommy's arms. _Something's wrong. Daddy looks scared._ She whimpered.

"Clia. Take Tea and hide. Quick!"

"But, Joph-"

"Hurry, my love. There's not much time."

Pale-skinned Clia nodded, her lekku twitching fearfully. With her daughter firmly in her arms, she turned and ran to the dug-out cellar behind their home.

"Mommy? What's wrong? What's going to happen to Daddy?"

"Not so loud, sweetheart. We've got to be quiet. Or they'll find us," her mother admonished gently, locking the cellar door behind her.

"They? Mommy, what's going on?"

"The Separatists are here," her mother whispered.

"Sep-ter-icks?" Teanna asked, her own tiny lekku twitching. She was starting to get very scared. Mommy _never_ acted like this.

"Bad people. If they find us, they _will_ hurt us. Teanna, I want you to do something for me."

"What, Mommy?"

"If I tell you to run, you _run_. Go straight to the caves that Daddy took you to last week. Run there as _fast_ as you can and _don't_ look back."

"But what about you and Daddy? You're coming with me, right?"

"We'll try, sweetheart."

Teanna didn't like that answer. She knew her mother wasn't telling her something. Something bad.

The two of them spent the next hour in complete silence, aside from small whimpers from the little girl. Every minute that went by, the more scared she was for her father.

Then, there was a loud yell. Daddy's voice. And it sounded like he'd been hurt bad. Both mother and daughter shivered violently. Mommy actually started crying very quietly. Daddy didn't call out again.

Teanna buried her face in her mother's tunic and started sobbing. Only to freeze and give a small shriek when someone started banging loudly on the cellar doors. The old wood splintered and cracked. Clia set Teanna behind her and grabbed one of the rakes that was leaning against the wall right before what looked like a skeleton dropped through the opening. Not a skeleton. A droid. One of the bad droids that Tea's daddy had told her about. Told her to stay away from.

Even if the old-fashioned rake was enough, Clia wasn't fast enough. The droid pulled the trigger and a ball of blue light hit the pale Togruta. "Mommy!" Teanna, thinking her mother was dead, tried to get behind the droid so that she could run away. But the thing wasn't alone. Another came and it's cold, hard, metal hand clamped on her wrist.

"Let me go. Please, let me go!" That was when Daddy came to the rescue. There was a lot of blood on his chest, but he jumped the droid regardless. Tea ran.

The little girl was hit and she dropped like a stone.

* * *

><p><strong>The next day...<strong>

"Mommy?"

"Shhh, little one," Teanna's mother said soothingly, shifting the little girl gently in her arms.

"Mommy, it hurts." Tea had never felt this bad. Not even when she'd fallen the week before and scraped her palms. This was a lot worse. Every part of her hurt. Especially her head, tiny lekku, and even tinier montrals.

Her mother kissed her forehead, "I know, baby. Mommy got hurt too."

Tea shifted more until she was sitting upright in her mother's lap. She almost lost her balance because her hands were tied together. So were Mommy's. The little Togruta looked around and saw that she and her mother weren't alone. They were surrounded by other Togrutas, who all had their hands tied. A lot of them that she saw lived near them. But Tea was the only child in this little room.

She craned her neck, but still didn't see her Daddy's familiar dark montrals. Maybe he was in another room?

"Mommy?"

"Yes, baby?" Her mother sounded like she was trying not to cry.

"Where's Daddy?"

"Oh, Tea... Daddy," Mommy sobbed softly. "Daddy didn't make it."

She didn't understand. Daddy didn't make it into this room? Maybe he _was_ in another room. But why was Mommy crying if Daddy was okay? Maybe he was hurt and her mother was worried about him. That made sense. Teanna had seen a lot of blood on her father's tunic.

"Daddy will be okay, Mommy. You don't have to cry."

Clia shook her head sadly, her lekku hanging limp, "No, Teanna. Daddy's gone. He's not coming back."

Not coming back? Why wouldn't he come back? Whenever Daddy went somewhere he'd always promised Tea that he'd come back. And he always had.

Tea gasped when she thought of something awful. "Mommy," she started, her little voice fearful, "Mommy, is Daddy... Is he dead?"

Clia didn't answer but just clutched her daughter close. Both of them started sobbing.

The door hissed open and Tea was pulled roughly from her mother's arms. Some weird aliens, which Tea thought looked something like felines with little horns on their chins and foreheads, pulled several Togrutas out the door. Tea's mother was one of them.

Teanna got up and ran to door just as the bars clanged shut in her face. "Mommy!"

She cried as one of her neighbors came and wrapped her in his arms. "I just want Mommy."

"I know, little one," teenaged Poe said as he gently soothed her. "I know, kiddo."

* * *

><p>Clia stood in line with her fellow Togrutas, head lowered as the Zygerrians jeered at them. All she wanted to do was to get out of her chains and run to her daughter. Teanna needed her right now. But she didn't dare. The Zygerrian who had yanked her daughter from her had promised to hurt her girl if she didn't obey.<p>

So, here she stood in the center of a circle of the platform's floor. Like the others. She wondered why they'd been placed so. It was possible that someone was already coming to buy some of them. Clia hoped beyond hope that she wasn't one of the many that were likely to be chosen. She couldn't bear to be separated from her daughter. Especially after losing her husband so soon.

There was a sound of a ship entering the atmosphere. Clia looked up and recognized the model. A Zygerrian slave ship. Not the Trade Federation ship that had taken them from Kiros. No, it was even worse. _We're being shipped out. Force knows where. Be strong, my little Teanna. Mommy loves you._

The ship landed, but the Zygerrians made no move to herd them toward the ship. The ramp lowered and several Zygerrians came out, escorting three hand-cuffed prisoners. Governor Roshti and two human males. One, a brownish-red head with a beard. The other was clean-shaven with buzz-cut blonde hair.

Clia lowered her head in relief. They weren't being shipped out. Then why gather them together like this?

The sound of a hoverchair behind her almost made Clia turn around. But she didn't dare. The voice coming from the chair sounded like it belonged to a large man who was used being in command. No surprise there. He addressed one of the men as General Kenobi.

Clia recognized the name as belonging to a Jedi. But she had little time to wonder how slavers had managed to capture a Jedi...

She screamed her daughter's name as she fell to her death.

* * *

><p><em>Please R&amp;R.<em>


	13. En Route

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to laloga and Depthcharge 2030 for reviewing!_

* * *

><p>Teanna cowered in a corner, clutching the water bottle that she was supposed to be passing to the workers to her chest. She cringed as Zinge, her father's friend, was whipped when the bearded man talked.<p>

The Zygerrians, which was what Poe had told her that the cat-people were called, walked off, laughing to themselves as Beard Guy tried to help Zinge while Blonde Man glared at the slavers' backs.

When Zinge called Beard Guy a Jedi, saying that the bad stuff was the Jedi's fault, Tea scowled at him from her spot. Daddy had told her that Jedi were good. That they always did their best to help. Mommy had even said that Tea should trust them. The little girl still hadn't found her mother. But this was big place. _Mommy's got to be here. Somewhere._

The four year old looked right, then she looked left. All clear. Not a Zygerrian in sight. She crept over to the Jedi and his friend, offering them the water bottle.

Beard Guy shook his head, pushing the bottle back toward her, "No, little one. If they find out that you tried to help us, they will hurt you, youngling."

Tea stubbornly stood her ground. "I'm not little," she huffed, making the Jedi chuckle. "And I'm not gonna hide." She looked at both men with big, trusting hazel eyes. "You're good. You won't let them hurt me. That's what Jedi do. Mommy said so."

Beard Guy traded alarmed looks with Blonde Man before turning back to the little girl, "I'm afraid that's not possible here, little one."

Blonde Man kneeled to her level, placing his big hand on her shoulder, "The only way we can protect you is if you stay as far away from us as possible. Do you understand, kid?"

Tea stomped her foot and huffed again, "My name is not _kid_. I'm Teanna. And how are you gonna protect me if I have to stay away from you?"

Beard Guy also kneeled to her level, "Teanna. Please listen to Rex. If the Zygerrians find you with us, they _will_ hurt you and they will _not_ let us help you. Go and hide."

Tea scowled at the man and pushed the water bottle into his hands, "Daddy says..." she gulped. Beard Guy's expression turned pained, which made sense. Tea knew that Jedi could feel what everyone felt. The Jedi in front of her knew how much she missed her Daddy. "D-Daddy s-said that you gotta drink plenty of water when you work. Or you'll get de... de-hy-der-rat-ed," she finished, looking at the ground.

Rex squeezed her shoulder, "Thanks, kid." She jerked her head back up and glared at him, making him chuckle as the Jedi took a quick drink.

"My name is _Teanna_. T-e-a..." She took a quick breath, squeezing her eyes shut in concentration before trying again, "T-e-a..." Teanna shook her head in frustration, tiny lekku swinging. "Tea."

Rex laughed quietly as he accepted the water bottle from the Jedi.

"And my name is Obi-Wan," Beard Guy said, taking the now empty bottle from Rex and gently placing it in her arms. His head jerked up toward the entrance to the mine. "They're coming back." He turned Teanna around and gave her a gentle shove, "Remember to stay away, Teanna."

She obeyed Obi-Wan. Just the one time.

* * *

><p><strong>Later that night...<strong>

Sergeant Cordav was _not_ happy. Yes, she and Fives had managed to hoodwink the Zygerrian queen. Yes, she, Fives, and the two squads were getting closer to rescuing the three Jedi and the Captain. However, she found it _extremely_ hard to remain calm as peaceful, _innocent_ people were being forced to work and were beaten if they weren't capable of performing the cruel tasks that the Zygerrian _hut'unne_ demanded. The Zygerrians were even threatening the people to get General Kenobi to cooperate with them. _These slavers don't deserve to live._

Standing this close to Slavemaster Agruss wasn't helping her mood any either. She clenched her right fist to keep herself from falling to the irresistable temptation of choking him to death slowly with the link of chain secured to her belt.

Of course, the lazy, overweight, pathetic excuse for a sentient being saw none of her inner turmoil on her face. Even though she was only twenty-one, Skylar was a master actress. _Buir_ had made sure of that.

Fives still had his _buy'ce_ on. She'd ordered him to not remove it. Not for _anything_. Cordav could tell by the way his entire body was tensed that the ARC's expression, if Agruss could see it, would immediately give them away.

"So, Chieftain Toran, is it?" Agruss said. Even his gloating voice made her want to kill him all the more. "Her Majesty said that you would be taking Kenobi off my hands. What of the clone?" Skylar almost shot him right then.

"_Udesii_, Sky," Gabe admonished over the comlink from where he and his squad had managed to position themselves. Beta and Tor could hear everything that she heard via the bead comlink in her ear. Beta's sergeant knew that Agruss's attitude about what they, her brothers, were infuriated her. All of the boys she'd trained knew her just as well as she knew them. Thankfully, General Skywalker had clicked out of the link. She didn't need an _aruetyc Jetii_ to hear her come close to losing control. Only her boys would be allowed to see that.

Still, even though she could raise the Jedi immediately over the link with just a click of her back teeth, it was arrogant of Skywalker to shut them off. That, or the young General just didn't know how Special Operations worked. Constant contact, no matter what. If they managed to survive this operation, which they _would_, Skylar would sit him down and give him a proper talking to. She didn't care if he was the Jedi Order's 'Chosen One.' Mistakes like that could get men killed. And it was usually the clones who paid that high price. Her boys.

Skylar acted the cold, unfeeling woman that she certainly wasn't right then. "Queen Scintel and I did not discuss the matter of the clone. But, I'm sure that you understand that I will require him as well. This General Kenobi cares more for others than himself. If I do not have his friend to threaten, then I'll not be able to master the Jedi."

"How in the galaxy can you do this, Skylar?" Fives asked incredulously over the link. She just gripped his forearm, keeping her attention focused on the chubby Zygerrian. Fantasizing all of the different ways that she could kill the Zygerrian slavemaster slowly while she waited for him to respond.

Agruss laughed, "Indeed, Chieftain. For one whose people comdemn slavery, you understand the industry quite well."

"My people are nothing if not opportunistic, Slavemaster. We know when to put aside old habits for... mutual advantage." That was an outright lie. But, like she'd pointed out to Fives, the galaxy wasn't too concerned with the truth of a warrior race that they considered to be barbaric. Agruss wouldn't know the difference.

Not until the pointed end of her _bes'bev_ was embedded in his throat.

The comlink mounted on Agruss' hoverchair went off. Irritated, the Zygerrian activated it. "What is it _now_?"

Dooku's visage showed up in holographic form, "Agruss. Skywalker and his Padawan have escaped. They and a squad of clone commandos are now en route to Kadavo."

Agruss' eyes narrowed, "No need to worry, Count. We are more than ready for them."

Jinx's voice came over the commandos' private channel, "Sorry for not giving you a heads-up, Sarge. General Skywalker didn't need our distraction after all."

"Looks like General Zey wasted our time." That was Devrin. "Wouldn't be the first time." The jokester gave a dramatic sigh, "Well, at least I can cross Zygerria off my list of 'must see' planets. Too bad we didn't get to see what the nightlife was like there."

Skylar resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

* * *

><p><em>hut'unne = cowards<em>

_buy'ce = helmet_

_Udesii = Easy_

_aruetyc = foreign (Basically, not Mandalorian)_

_Jetii = Jedi_

_Please R&R_


	14. Udesii

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to laloga for reviewing!_

* * *

><p>After Agruss had closed the link, he'd informed Skylar that her 'alliance' with the Queen was now null and void. And Skylar had nearly blown up. Fives watched, alarmed, as his sergeant all but attacked the overweight Zygerrian.<p>

"Your queen and I had an agreement, a _contract_, Agruss," Cordav said, her voice dangerously low. Fives could hear both squads admonishing her to stay calm, but the ARC doubted that she could even hear them. Her face was ashen with fury. He'd never seen someone so mad before. Sergeant Bric's anger when Domino Squad had failed paled in comparison to the fury emanating from the young woman standing beside him.

"And her Majesty was not one to break her word." Past tense. What did General Skywalker do this time? "However, Scintel was murdered by the Jedi. Atai Molec is our king now," Agruss said as he regarded Fives and Skylar with something akin to contempt. Fives realized that the slavemaster didn't care for Mandalorians. And since Cordav's agreement with the queen was worthless now, neither did Molec. Which meant that they were back to where they had started.

Almost. General Skywalker, Commander Tano, and Tor Squad were on their way here. Fives hoped that Skylar wouldn't blow their cover before the General arrived.

"Now, I'm sorry, but I must cut this... discussion short. I have Jedi to threaten." Agruss' expression turned conniving.

"I don't like this, Sarge," Fives spoke softly over the link. Whatever the Zygerrian was planning, it couldn't be good.

"But, I _could_ use the expertise of two Death Watch assassins," Agruss continued, completely unaware that he was on dangerous ground. Fives kept Cordav in his peripheral view, just in case he needed to step in and hold her back. While she'd dyed his hair, Skylar had explained the difference between Death Watch and True Mandos. And Fives had gotten the feeling that, even though she'd pretend to be one of the Death Watch in a pinch, she hated them with every fiber of her being. Being called Death Watch was the ultimate insult to her.

And Agruss, still ignorant that he was digging his own grave, kept on going. "Your people have a knack for subduing Jedi. The Separatists will pay you handsomely for your assistance." Fives was beginning to guess that the slavemaster was wanting them to 'handle' the Jedi so that his men wouldn't have too.

"No thanks," Skylar said acidly. "The point of my agreement with Scintel was to rise to power while _avoiding_ the Separatists until we were strong enough to defeat them. Dooku doesn't have the interests of the Death Watch in mind anymore." Fives stiffened further, now even more alarmed than before. _She's gonna give us away if she keeps this up!_ "And I'd rather be as far from the Count as the galaxy will allow," she finished, ramming her bright orange helmet onto her head. "If you'll excuse us, we know our own way out."

"What's the big idea, Skylar?" Gabe asked incredulously over the link, beating the ARC to the punch.

"Yeah, sis." That was Hew. "Are you _trying_ to get you and Fives killed?" Fives was just a little distracted by the fact that Beta's tech expert had managed two sentences. The man hardly ever talked at all.

Cordav let out a frustrated sigh and uttered a few choice _Mando'a_ words that she'd refused to tell Fives the meaning of. "Look, _vode_. There was nothing else I could do. Jinx, let General Skywalker and Commander Tano know what's going on. Beta, rendezvous with us at the guard station closest to our position."

"Ma'am, yes Ma'am!"

She turned her head toward Fives as they walked down the corridor, trying to look as if this was routine for them so that the guards wouldn't be suspicious. But he spoke before she could, "Do _all_ of your plans go south like this?"

Dover grunted over the link, "Pretty much."

Skylar tilted her head as she quickened her pace. She kept up with him easily, for being so small. "And if everything did go according to plan, this whole operation would be boring. Where's the fun in that?" Although he couldn't see her expression, Fives knew that she was amused.

Their whole mission was crashing right in front of their faces and she was _amused_?

"_Fun_?" Devrin and Doz started laughing over the link as the rest of the squads groaned in irritation.

Cordav chuckled, "Welcome to Special Operations, _F'ika_."

* * *

><p>It was downtime, whatever that meant. Teanna looked around her carefully, but there wasn't a Zygerrian in sight. The little Togruta was worried about Rex and Obi-Wan. She hadn't been able to check on them the rest of the day to make sure that they weren't de... de-hy... <em>I hate big words<em>.

The Zygerrians had made her run all over the mines with the water bottle. While she'd passed the water to her people, she'd kept looking for her Mommy. Still no sign of her mother's pale montrals. And Tea was starting to get even more scared. _Mommy's got to be alive. She's just got to be._

Yes, she wanted to make sure the two humans were okay. But she also needed to be with them. When Rex had put his hand on her shoulder she'd felt... safe. The same exact feeling that she used to get when Daddy hugged her. _I miss you, Daddy_, she sobbed softly. _I want you back._

She wasn't paying attention and stumbled into a row of bunks. _Obi-Wan and Rex are around here somewhere. I think._

The little girl was completely unaware that Obi-Wan was still awake and watching her as she tiptoed past sleeping Togrutas until she found Rex's bunk, which was opposite his. Tea's tiny montrals tingled and she looked around her to make sure that no guards were watching her.

She didn't look behind her, so she didn't see the Jedi. Teanna was worried about him, but she was too scared now to look anymore. As quietly as she could, she climbed onto Rex's bunk and curled up against him, trying not to wake him up.

"Tea, what are you doing here? It's not safe," Rex admonished tiredly. "Go back to your bunk."

She shook her head and buried her little face in his chest, biting back a sob. "I can't. I can't find Mommy."

He sighed, exchanging a quick look at the General. "I'll keep an eye out for the guards, Rex."

Tea looked up and smiled at both men before snuggling closer to Rex and falling asleep quickly. Earning a chuckle from both men.

The little girl woke suddenly when something yanked her by the back of her neck. She cried out and Rex aimed a punch at the Zygerrian, making him drop Tea as he fell back.

"Run, kid!" Tea stood, frozen as the Zygerrians used their weapons against her friend.

"Now, Teanna! Go!" Obi-Wan yelled as he and Rex were herded out of the sleeping quarters.

The guard that Rex had punched came toward her and she turned to run. Too late. There was a swishing sound and a loud 'crack' as the whip hit her back. Tea curled up and cried, begging for him to stop. By now, all of the Togrutas in the sleeping quarters were wide awake. But none of them made any move to help her. They were too scared to.

"Get away from her, you _hut'uun_!" There was the sound of blaster fire and a thud.

Tea looked up to see that the cat alien was lying on the floor, not moving. A woman in bright orange armor, a man in green armor right behind her, made her way to the little girl. Teanna scooted away from her and the woman froze, then removed her helmet. She gazed scornfully at the other Togrutas before turning gentle blue eyes to Tea, "It's okay, _ad'ika_. I'm not going to hurt you. _Udesii_."

Teanna scrambled to her feet and ran into the woman's arms, crying hard.

* * *

><p><em>vode = brothers<em>

_hut'uun = coward_

_ad'ika = little one_

_udesii = take it easy, calm down  
><em>

_Please R&R._


	15. Man Down

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to Depthcharge2030 and laloga for reviewing!_

* * *

><p>Skylar soothed the crying girl, wishing that she'd shot the Zygerrian in the femoral artery and not his head. He hadn't deserved a quick death. Children were to be protected and loved, not tortured.<p>

Fives, taking her 'think for yourself' pep talk to heart, was moving through the room and freeing the other Togrutas from their shackles and shock collars. None of them tried to take the girl from her, which was just as well. Cordav could not _believe_ how cowardly these people had just been. They'd just watched a child of one of their own being tortured and they hadn't even lifted a finger. If it had been her people they would have attacked the Zygerrian immediately. Regardless of the shock collars.

But she didn't have time to worry about that. Skylar stood, still holding the pale-skinned, dark-montraled little girl with one arm as she replaced her helmet. Cordav then fished a small comlink out of one of her belt pouches. She tossed it to the eldest Togruta in the room.

"Stay here until myself or one of the Jedi calls you."

"You're seriously not thinking of taking the kid with us, Sky?" _Finally._ Even though their lives were on the line right then and Fives was irritated with her at that moment, Skylar couldn't help but feel a little relieved. This was the first time that the ARC trooper had called her by a nickname. Relief, and a small thrill running up her spine. _What the _osik_ has gotten into me?_

"Yes, _F'ika_. I am." She shifted the little Togruta until she was carrying the girl's weight comfortably on her right hip. "Her people didn't even try to protect her, Fives. She's safer with us."

The little girl, completely ignorant of their conversation, looked up at her with big hazel eyes that Cordav just could not resist. But the child's eyes were just a little wary, "Who are you?" _Good kid. Definitely _mandokarla_._

"I'm Skylar and this is Fives," Cordav answered gently, tilting her head slightly toward the impatient man. Fives had his arms crossed over his chest and was tapping his right foot. For some reason, the sergeant found that a little funny. _Focus, Cordav. Can't afford to get slaphappy now._ "We're here to rescue you."

"And Rex and Obi-Wan too?"

Fives inhaled sharply and was at Skylar's left side in less than a second, "You've seen them? Are they alright?"

The little girl nodded her head, shivering fearfully. "_Udesii_, _F'ika_," Cordav admonished using the voice projection on her helmet so that the child could hear her too. "Take it easy, both of you. It'll be okay."

Then, even gentler, she addressed the child again, "_Ad'ika_, do you know where they are now?"

The Togruta shook her head. "No. They just took them out of the room before you came. I don't know where they went." Her little forehead creased and her lekku stiffened in irritation. "And my name's Tea. Not... not whatever you called me."

"I know you like being with kids, Sarge. But General Skywalker and Tor are about to land and we're waiting for you at the security station," Gabe spoke up again, his voice sounding irritated. And no wonder. Skylar could hear blaster fire on his end.

"Okay, Tea. I'm gonna give you to Fives. No matter what happens, stay with him. And if he falls, you _run_."

Tea nodded her head and the clone hesitated. Cordav switched her voice projector off. "C'mon, Fives. She's not gonna bite ya." There were muted chuckles on the link and Fives grumbled to himself as he took little Tea from her.

"I don't like babysitting."

Skylar couldn't resist the urge to chuckle this time, "How do you know? You've never tried it."

Tea clung to Fives, still shivering. _If no one tried to protect her... She must be an orphan. Well, if she is, she's got a family with me and my boys._ Cordav would see to that once they were all safely away from this _dar'yaim_.

* * *

><p>Fives really wasn't uncomfortable being this close to the kid, even though he'd never really been around children before. Tea was actually pretty cute. And terrified. She clung to him so tightly that he could feel her grip through his plates. At first, he'd been a little alarmed that Skylar had insisted on taking Tea with them. But he understood. If her people hadn't protected her earlier, then they probably would fail to protect her again.<p>

But a battlefield was no place for a kid.

Skylar ran ahead of them, easily dispatching any Zygerrians that came at them. Fives, holding Tea securely with his left arm, aimed his blaster, taking out one slaver that had gotten too close to his sergeant for his comfort.

_I still can't believe that I called her 'Sky.'_ He hoped that she hadn't noticed that slip. But for some odd reason, it just felt _right_.

A blaster bolt ricocheted off of Cordav's armor, making Tea call out to the woman. Skylar turned toward the origin of the blasterfire, only to see the shooter fall to the ground with a blaster hole in his forehead.

Someone tapped Fives on the shoulder and he whirled around, aiming his blaster. At Top's face. "_Osik_, Top. Are you _trying_ to get yourself killed?"

Top just smacked the side of Fives' helmet with the flat of his hand. "Wouldn't have happened if you were paying attention to the 360 in your HUD instead of drooling over Sky," he said irritably over the link.

_If I wasn't holding Tea..._ Fives would so have flattened the sniper right then and there. "I was protecting her and Tea," the ARC said, his voice dangerously low.

"Okay you two, break it up. Save it for the enemy," Gabe barked.

"Next one to make a joke about _anyone_ gets a thump from me," Skylar said, clearly furious. "Top, we can't afford for you to distract us right now, _vod'ika_."

"Sorry, _Ruus'alor_."

"Sergeant Cordav." General Skwalker was back on the link again. _Wonder why he clicked out in the first place?_

"Yeah, General?" Skylar responded, her voice strained as more guards came running down the corridor.

"We've evacuated everyone in the main station over the mines. Where are you?"

"_In_ the mines, General. Beta's captured a security station. Fives and I are with them, but we're surrounded. And we've got a child with us."

"What is your exact position?"

Tea clutched herself closer to Fives and he rubbed her back gently in an effort to comfort her, "It's okay, Tea. We're going to get out of here."

"Sending you the coordinates now, General. We'd all appreciate it if you'd _hurry_."

"On our way, Sarge," Jinx said reassuringly.

That was when one of the men cried out.

"Gabe!" Skylar yelled, impaling the Zygerrian closest to her with the pointed end of her flute before frantically running to her fallen brother's side. "_Gab'ika_!"

The ARC made to join her as she dragged Beta's deathly still sergeant out of the line of blasterfire.

"No, Fives! Stay put and protect Tea!" Fives did, but he checked Gabe's biosigns via his own helmet's HUD. The commando still had a pulse, but it was very weak.

_Please no. Not this. Anything but this. You've got to hold on Gabe!_

* * *

><p><em>osik = crap<em>

_mandokarla = got the right stuff (pretty much used to describe someone who is considered good enough to be Mando)_

_ad'ika = little one_

_vod'ika = little brother_

_Ruus'alor = Sergeant_

_dar'yaim = dead world_

_Please R&R._


	16. Frantic

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to laloga for reviewing!  
><em>

* * *

><p>Skylar sat in a corner of the hanger bay, in just her black flightsuit as she tried her best to soothe a distraught Teanna. They'd looked everywhere for the little girl's mother only to have General Kenobi tell them that Clia was dead. The general had seen her fall, but he hadn't connected the older Togruta with Tea until the child had described her mother.<p>

Fives sat a little distance away from the both of them on one of the crates, now back in his ARC trooper armor with his helmet by his feet. Glancing at her every few seconds as he cleaned his weapon. Cordav had sent Tor Squad to their bunks, but she doubted that they were sleeping. They had to be as worried as she was.

And the three uninjured members of Beta were in the med bay, keeping an eye on their still unconscious sergeant. Gabe was alive, but Skylar was afraid that he might not last much longer.

Which was why she was out here and not in the med bay with her men. Tea didn't need to be back there, surrounded by injured men. And Cordav didn't want Doz, Top, and Hew to see her lose hope. She dreaded having to call Deena. _Gabe, you can't leave us now. Your wife and your baby girl need you. We _all_ need you._

In the end, she was grateful for Fives. When Jinx and his boys had given into her direct order to head to their cabin, he'd refused. And even though he was nowhere near her, she found comfort in his presence. Just having him there seemed to be able to give her strength while her world was falling apart all over again.

Not that she would ever admit it to the young clone. _Probably would embarrass him too much._

"Skylar?"

The Mando looked down at little Tea, whose eyes were red and puffy from her crying, "Yes, _ad'ika_?"

"What's going to h-happen to m-me?"

Skylar hugged the little girl to herself, "I talked with Governor Roshti while you were with Rex." It had taken a lot of persuading on her part to get the elder Togruta Governor to even hear her out. "He said it was okay with him if I adopted you." Fives' head jerked up and he gaped at her. Cordav resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him and focused entirely on the child in her arms. "But only if you want me to."

Teanna seemed to be thinking it over. Her lekku twitched slightly. "You mean that you want to be my new Mommy?"

Cordav smiled, "I'd love to. Very much. But only if you want me to be." Tea trembled. "It's okay, _ad'ika_. I know I'll never replace your mother. She's always with you, no matter what happens."

"But how?"

The sergeant laid her hand over the little girl's heart, "As long as you remember her, she'll always be here. Your Daddy too."

Tea was silent for a few moments and Skylar was suddenly _very_ aware of Fives watching her intently.

"Okay. But do I have to call you 'Mommy?'" Teanna asked. She seemed afraid that if she called Skylar by that name that she'd forget her real mother.

"No, you don't. You can call me '_Buir_' if you want. It means 'mama.'"

"I thought that meant 'father,'" Fives deep voice spoke up, his expression confused. Cordav couldn't help but laugh. He scowled at her and she laughed harder. Even Tea started giggling.

"It's not funny."

Teanna and Skylar were quiet for two seconds before meeting each others' eyes and laughing again.

Fives rolled his eyes and Cordav forced herself to calm down. _Okay, what's going on? This isn't me._ "It means 'mother' too, _F'ika_." _I haven't called him '_vod'ika_' in a while. Why is that?_ "Mandos aren't concerned with gender. So, our language really doesn't differentiate between male and female."

"What does dif... dif-fer..." Teanna shook her head in frustration earning a chuckle from both Fives and Skylar.

"Differentiate. It means to see the difference in things. Because Mandos don't 'differentiate,' we see boys and girls as equals. Anything Fives can do, I can do."

"Am I a Mando now too?"

"Almost." Skylar cupped Tea's chin gently in her right hand, "_Ni kyr'tayl gai sa'ad_, Teanna."

"What does that mean?" Cordav could barely keep her focus on her new daughter's question because Fives moved to sit by her side. Her heart thumped and she hoped that he couldn't hear it.

She cleared her throat, "It means 'I name you as my child.' You're definitely my little Mando now, Tea."

Cordav braced herself to meet Fives' dark eyes. And then her wrist comlink chirped. _Osik!_

"Sergeant Cordav here."

"Sky!" Top sounded frantic. "You need to get here now! The med droid's trying to kill Gabe!"

"Hold the _beskar'ad_ back until I get there. I'll try to grab Rex and any one of the Jedi I can find in five minutes. _Udesii_, Top. I'm coming."

She kissed her daughter's forehead before looking up at Fives, "_F'ika_. I need you to take Teanna. Keep her _away_ from the med bay."

He nodded his head, stretching his arms out to take her daughter, "Okay, Sky. If you need me, just call."

* * *

><p>Rex was standing between General Skywalker and Ahsoka, Generals Kenobi and Koon on the Commander's other side as the Chancellor debriefed the generals. None of them were expecting Sergeant Cordav to march onto the bridge. From the look on her face, the Captain knew something was wrong.<p>

Cordav nodded her head once to Palpatine's holographic image before she addressed all five of them, "Sorry to interrupt, sirs and ma'am, but there's an emergency in the med bay. And I need General Skywalker and the Captain right _now_."

"If there is an emergency in the med bay, I'm sure the medical droids can handle it. Anakin and Rex aren't healers," Kenobi said patiently, his expression wary. Rex couldn't blame him. Especially after hearing of the general's run in with the Death Watch. Although Sergeant Cordav clearly wasn't one of those criminals, she also wasn't one of the Duchess' Mandalorians either.

Cordav crossed her arms, her face impatient. No, her face was _frantic_. She was _scared_, but not of the Jedi. It was the same look she'd had when Beta Squad's sergeant had been taken to the med bay.

"My dear, I'm sure this can-" the Chancellor began, but Cordav moved.

"My apologies, Chancellor," the sergeant said as she shut off the link.

"Sergeant!" General Skywalker was _furious_. But it didn't even faze her.

"First of all, _General_. An officer, such as yourself, should be contactable at _all_ times. A man's _life_ is on the line and it has _nothing_ to do with his condition. And the more time we waste chit-chatting away, the closer that med droid is getting to _killing_ Gabe." Cordav was getting was very close to losing control. Rex could hear it in her voice. He couldn't help but notice that her accent was _identical_ to his.

"But why would-"

"I'd love to discuss it with you, Commander, but that's gonna have to wait until my brother is safe." _Her brother? Why would a non-clone call one of us her brother?_ Without even bothering to make sure that Rex and General Skywalker were following her, she spun and ran out of the bridge.

Rex right on her heels. And General Skywalker right behind them.

_And why would a med droid try to kill one of us?_ This ship was secure. There was no way _anyone_ could have tampered with the medical droids. _Unless we have another traitor._ Rex hoped that wasn't case. _The last thing we need is another Slick._

* * *

><p><em>ad'ika = little one<em>

_buir = mama/papa_

_vod'ika = little brother_

__Ni kyr'tayl gai sa'ad_. = I name you as my child. (Mandalorian adoption contract)_

_osik = crap_

_beskar'ad = droid_

_udesii = calm down  
><em>

_Please R&R._


	17. Quality Control

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to laloga for reviewing!  
><em>

* * *

><p>As soon as she reached the med bay, Skylar made a beeline for Gabe's bed. Top, Hew, and Doz had positioned themselves around their sergeant, DC-17s raised in the safety positions. Which made sense, since they were surrounded by brothers. Cordav herself had, during training, once shot and seriously injured one of her own brothers. That wasn't the sort of thing one wanted on their conscious. Her three brothers were just holding the rifles to persuade the obviously miffed med droid to keep it's distance. Cordav pulled her flute off her belt as she positioned herself by Hew, who was standing in front of his brother's bed.<p>

"Medic, what's going on here?" Skywalker asked the med droid. Rex roamed the med bay, looking for who knew what.

"I was performing my duties, General, when these three," the tinnie gestured with it's skinny metal arm toward the rest of Beta Squad, "interrupted me. This is _exactly_ why healthy clones are not allowed in the medical bay, sir. They disrupt treatment."

"_Treatment_?" Hew practically roared. "You weren't trying to _treat_ Gabe. You were trying to _poison_ him." Her normally quiet and reserved brother lowered his blaster until the droid was lined up in his sights.

Skylar put a restraining hand on his wrist and he allowed her to work the DC-17 free from his grip, "No, _H'ika_. _Udesii_."

The _Jetii_ now had his lightsaber hilt in his hand. This was why Skylar had asked for him specifically. He was a man of action. Kenobi would probably be trying to convince Top, Hew, and Doz that they were just overreacting.

Rex came up beside the General, placing his own hand discreetly on the butt of one of his twin blasters.

"Is this true?"

"No, sir. I was not trying to _poison_ RC-2850 as RC-3246 is insinuating. The damage to his lumbar spine that RC-2850 sustained from the blaster shot has left him paralyzed from the waist down. He is a defective unit. I was simply giving him-"

The droid was interrupted when the syringe it was holding floated into the _Jetii_'s left hand. Skylar tensed, very sure of what the droid had been starting to say. And it didn't surprise her one bit. Four of her own boys had been terminated, as the _kaminiise_ put it, just because their sniper, Trick, had eyesight that wasn't one hundred percent. There was nothing she could have done to prevent their deaths as she hadn't found out until they didn't show up for training the next day. Of course, she'd nearly beat the snot out of the Kaminoan scientist who had ordered their murder. _I would have killed that gray, skinny-necked aiwha-bait if Kal and Jango hadn't intervened._

Skywalker asked the droid what was in the syringe and Doz gasped when the droid replied. Beta's jokester and medic was shaking so hard that his armor plates were clanking.

"_Z'ika_, what's wrong? What-?"

Doz nodded his helmeted head toward the general, "Th-that chemical... It's used to s-stop vital o-organs. _Immediately_."

Skywalker and Rex's faces were a study in shock. Top tensed as if readying himself to shoot the droid and Hew clenched his fists and extended the vibroblade mounted on his wrist gauntlet. All _haran_ was about to break loose. Skylar positioned herself in front of her men, letting them know that she wasn't about to let anything happen to Gabe while making it clear that she wasn't going to allow them to do something stupid either.

Turns out, she needn't have bothered.

There was the vzoom of a lightsaber being activated and the medical droid fell to the med bay deck in two pieces. Skylar's knees gave out and she sank to the floor in relief.

"Sir," Rex began, face still slightly pale, "no offense, but how are we going to find out who tampered with it now?"

Cordav looked up from where she was sitting, "It wasn't tampered with."

Skywalker's head whipped towards her so fast that she could have sworn that she heard his neck pop. "What do you mean, Skylar?" he asked as he crouched in front of her.

_A General that destroys med droids to protect his men and calls Mandos by their first names. Not bad, for a Jetii._ "It wasn't tampered with. That's part of it's programming." Her voice was shaky, but she didn't care. She was just so... _grateful_ that they'd managed to save Gabe. "If a clone is too badly injured, those droids don't make _any_ effort to save them. They don't even try to make d-dying men comfortable. And if a clone's too... disabled to fight, or even perform guard duty, they k-kill him."

"But why?"

Cordav wasn't looking at the general, she was looking at Rex. The Captain looked like someone had pulled his foundation out from under him. "Because, like the _kaminiise_, the Republic is obsessed with perfection." That was a dangerous thing for a True Mandalorian warrior to say to a Jedi Knight. But Skylar doubted that Skywalker would court-martial her for it. "I lost four of my little brothers to the _shabla_ Kaminoans' _quality control_. They were just seven years old. Fourteen year old boys. Judging by your face, Captain, you didn't know about that. I'm surprised something like that didn't happen with your batch. It happened too often among the commandos. There was a lot more than ten thousand commandos to begin with."

Skylar just wanted to be with Fives right then and she didn't know why. _Oh, yes I do. I never expected to fall for anyone. And I definitely didn't think that it would happen so fast._ But she should have expected it. Her father had told her that surviving life-threatening danger with another being created a strong bond. Judging by the way she that she was starting to feel about the ARC trooper, it was definitely stronger than she'd thought. At least for her. She was no Jedi, she couldn't sense how he felt about her. If he felt anything other than respect towards her at all.

"Sergeant Orar. Sarge." Cordav was on her feet and at her brother's head the second Gabe moaned her father's name. Badly injured men almost always called for their mothers. But since her brothers never had one, Gabe was calling for her father. Their father. Hew, Top, and Doz crowded around her.

Very gently, she ruffled Gabe's hair, "_Udesii_, _Gab'ika_. It's Sky. Your brothers are here too. Everything's going to be fine. I promise, _vod'ika_," she soothed as she kissed his temple. _I don't care that Skywalker's watching me like a jai'galaar. Gabe's the one who needs me right now._

"I can't feel my legs, Sky." Gabe's voice was getting stronger, but he looked about to panic. His brown eyes were wide with fear.

"_Udesii_, _ner vod_. We're here," Hew soothed, taking one of Gabe's hands in his own. And Skylar pulled back from her brothers to join the general and Rex so that she could answer their questions. But not before reassuring Gabe that was she was coming back. The blonde clone was looking at her like she was some new species and she guessed that Rex had probably never seen someone care this much about his brothers before.

Skywalker looked even more furious about this incident than he'd been when she'd cut off the link to Palpatine, "As soon as we get back to Coruscant, I'm going to talk to the Chancellor about this."

"The Chancellor already knows, General."

She'd never seen a Jedi's jaw drop before, and she actually found it quite funny. She would have laughed if she hadn't almost lost Gabe only moments before. And if they weren't currently discussing this particular issue. "Or someone in his office does. Two black ops clones were sent after an ARC deserter not too long ago. They had orders to slot him on sight." Cordav took another shaky breath before continuing, "They mistook one of the commandos for the deserter and tried to kill him, as ordered. Ended up with him killing them in self-defense."

Both General Skywalker and Rex's faces were incredulous.

And Skylar dropped the equivalent of a thermal det on them, "Those two black ops boys were sent by the Chancellor's office." _I know you think the galaxy revolves around Palpatine, Skywalker, but I don't trust that old man. He's a politician. And I can tell you stories about a lot of your politicians that will give even you nightmares._ The only ones that she'd never heard anything bad about were Organa and Amidala. And out of those two, Amidala was the only one that Skylar would even _think_ about trusting. Like any True Mando, that woman actually _fought_ for the safety of her people.

But that wasn't important right then. What was important was finding her daughter and a certain ARC trooper. Tea needed to know that her uncle was going to be okay. As for Fives... _I'll have to figure out what I'm going to do about that later. There's too much going on right now._

* * *

><p><em>Jetii = Jedi<em>

_kaminiise = Kaminoans_

_haran = hell_

_shabla = screwed up_

_jai'galaar = shriek-hawk_

_ner vod = my brother  
><em>

_Please R&R._


	18. Family

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to laloga for reviewing!_

* * *

><p>Fives had been completely surprised when Cordav had adopted Teanna. However, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Skylar was constantly saying that her people were habitual adopters. <em>I just never expected her to act it out with Tea.<em> Speaking of which...

"Fives, what's going to happen to Gabe?" If anything, the little girl looked even more scared than she had back in the mines.

Fives tried to set her down on his bunk but she refused to let go of him. So, with a sigh, he sat on the edge of his bed with her in his lap. "I don't know, Tea. Knowing Sk- I mean, your mother, she won't let anything happen to him." _I hope._ But if it was the medical droid that was... The ARC doubted that Skylar could do anything about it. _I've been wrong about her before, though. Probably shouldn't be surprised if she ends up getting court martialed for spearing a med droid._ Not that he was going to tell Tea that. _Sky will strangle me if I scare her daughter._

_I wonder why a med droid would try to kill a clone? Unless Gabe's injuries are killing him._ Fives wouldn't wish a slow, painful death on even a worst enemy. _Sky might, though._

"I hope so. Fives?"

"Yeah, Teanna?"

"Why did _Buir_ adopt me?"

Of course. It was the one question that still had him stumped. The ARC had no idea how he was going to answer. It probably had to do with the fact of how important family was to his sergeant. Skylar knew that Tea was an orphan. And, judging from what Gabe had said about her liking kids, Cordav probably just couldn't resist the little girl. Fives himself knew that Tea was growing on him. _And I'm okay with that._

Tea's big hazel eyes were looking up at him as she waited for his answer. _I've got to tell her something_. "I don't know, Tea. We'll just have to ask her when she gets back. Okay?"

The little girl opened her mouth to respond but yawned hugely. If Fives was tired, he knew that she had to be exhausted. She laid her little head on his armored chest and was promptly out in less than a minute. Okay, she'd completely won him over.

Very gently, he laid her on his bunk just as the door to his quarters slid open. Fives turned, fully expecting to see Skylar. He was just a little disappointed when he saw that it was Jinx and his boys. _I'm getting way too attached to her._ He folded his arms, "I thought Skylar told you four to get some sleep."

Jinx smirked and shook his head, but it was Devrin who spoke up, "Well, she's more our big sister than our CO. So, in theory, we really don't have to listen to her." _That, and they're worried about Gabe too._

"One of these days, that big mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble, Dev," Dover said warningly, leaning against the wall.

Quirk nodded his head. All of Tor were in their fatigues. "Yeah. Knowing your luck, none of us will be around to look after you when that happens."

Fives couldn't help but chuckle quietly at the indignant look on Devrin's face, "And who says I need looking after?"

"I do. So does Sky." Jinx held up a hand as the blue haired clone opened his mouth to protest, "And arguing with her is not a good idea. Remember what happened the last time you tried that?"

Dev looked a little fearful, but still held his ground, "That was because-"

And Fives slapped a hand over the jokester's mouth. "You're getting way too loud. If you wake Tea up, _you're_ taking care of her." Judging by the looks on the four clones' faces, they hadn't even noticed the little Togruta sleeping on his bunk.

"You mean Sky actually let the kid out of her sight?" Dover asked, his expression one of disbelief.

Fives really wanted to ask _exactly_ what had happened the last time that Devrin had argued with Cordav, but that wasn't important right then. "There was an emergency with Gabe." _I probably should tell them that their sister adopted Tea, but I think I'd better let her handle it._

All four commandos gasped at exactly the same time. "Will he be okay?" Jinx seemed to be the only one of them capable of talking at the moment. And Fives couldn't blame them. Losing brothers was hard, even if you weren't raised with them. Tor Squad had spent only a little time with Beta during training and on the field, but they'd shared the same training sergeants. They were still close.

"I don't know," Fives responded for the third time that night. "Top commed her while we were still in the docking bay. He said something about the med droid trying to kill Gabe."

Absolute silence. All four of them stiffened, hands clenching into fists. "Is Sky there right now?" Devrin asked, his voice worried.

The ARC nodded his head, "She was going to try to get Rex and one of the generals too."

"_Osik_," Jinx murmured. "We'd better get back there now, boys." The rest of his squad nodded their heads and started toward the door. Only for it to open to a watery-eyed Skylar. Her brown eyes locked on Fives and she didn't hesitate to make her way to him and throw her arms around him. Fives just stood there, completely shocked. He'd fully expected her to go to Jinx for comfort. Not him. She'd only known him for a few days. He probably should have wrapped his arms around her as well, but he was too stunned to move.

Before he could even think about what to do, she pulled away from him, her face turning a little red, and allowed Devrin to pull her into his arms. Fives couldn't help feeling a little deflated. _I should have hugged her._ He shook his head. _Get a hold of yourself, trooper._

"Is Gabe alright, _S'ika_?" Dover asked. All five clones were watching her, their faces showing fear for their brother.

"Sort of. General Skywalker destroyed the med droid." Fives found himself breathing a sigh of relief with Quirk. _Gabe's safe now that the general knows._

Jinx ran his hand through his red hair, " Wait a minute. What do you mean 'sort of.'"

"He's paralyzed. And the medics can't do anything. His spine's too badly damaged," Skylar answered, her voice emotionless. "He'll never walk again."

Jinx muttered several of the _Mando'a_ words that Skylar had used in the mines. Devrin and Quirk were completely still.

Dover clenched his fists. "None of us should even have been there. Zey shouldn't have sent _any_ of us." Even though Tor's sniper and medic was managing to keep quiet, there was anger in his voice.

Skylar pulled out of Devrin's arms and pulled Dover into a hug, "_Udesii_, _Dov'ika_. None of us saw this coming. By rights, I should have been shot. That blaster bolt was aimed at _me_. Gabe was trying to protect _me_. _I'm_ the one you should be angry at."

"Sis, none of that," Dover said, tightening his arms around her, his fury forgotten. Fives had never seen Skylar in this state before. He knew that they thought of each other as family, but he'd never seen them act it out like this until just then. He felt... excluded.

"Dov's right, _ori'vod_. And I can guarantee that Gabe doesn't want you to even _think_ like this. He knew what he was doing. You would have done the same for all of us." Jinx soothed, rubbing her back softly as she cried into Dover's chest.

Fives didn't like seeing the woman like this. He shifted uncomfortably and was about to head out the door when Cordav's hand clamped onto his elbow as he began to pass her. "Stay. You're family now too, _F'ika_." _Just family? Is that all she sees me as? Get a hold of yourself, Fives.  
><em>

"Awww. Isn't that sweet?" Devrin cooed, flinching away from Quirk's upraised hand. Fives almost punched the jokester. He would have, if Skylar hadn't laughed.

* * *

><p><em>osik = crap<em>

_udesii = calm down_

_ori'vod = big sister (or big brother)_

_Please R&R._


	19. Invalided Out

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to laloga for reviewing!  
><em>

* * *

><p>Skylar, Fives by her side and Tea in her arms, marched to the briefing room. <em>What the <em>osik_ do the _Jetiise_ want now?_ She'd rather be back in the med bay with the rest of her brothers.

Fives held back to let her enter before him. _He's quite the gentleman. For an ARC trooper._ She shook her head slightly. _Stow it, Skylar! The _Jetiise_ can sense what you're beginning to feel about him._ Cordav concentrated on her worry for Gabe and tried to ignore her thoughts on Fives. Easier said than done, but she managed it by thinking of what the consequences would be for the both of them. If the Jedi found out about her growing attachment to the young clone, they'd assign him somewhere else. _And I probably won't ever be able to see him again._

"_Buir_, what's going on?" Tea asked, tugging at her left lekku. It was a little habit the child had whenever she was nervous, which seemed to be most of the time since Kadavo.

Skylar gently took her daughter's hand in her free one, "I have absolutely no idea, _ad'ika_. How about we ask the Jedi?"

"They're not mad at me, are they?"

"Why would they be mad at you, squirt?" Teanna scowled at Fives. The ARC had started calling the little girl by that nickname just last night. Cordav could only hear affection in his voice whenever he said it, but it irritated her daughter to no end.

"I am not a _squirt_, Fives," her daughter practically glared at him, her fears forgotten. Which had been the clone's plan all along. Cordav couldn't help but think about what a great father he'd make some day. _Whoa there, Skylar. Slow down._ So much for keeping him out of her thoughts. Yes, in every phsyical way he was identical to her brothers. Yes, she saw other clones as her brothers too, including Fives when she'd first met him. However, somewhere along the way, she'd ceased to see him in that light. He was a man and she, a woman, was drawn to him. Part of her told her that she should just back off. If she was to pursue this and they were found out, Fives would be the one to suffer, not her. She wasn't a Republic citizen, just a Mandalorian mercenary, and they wouldn't dare touch her for it. They were too scared of war with her people. But Fives... she shivered, thinking of all the horrible things that the _shabla Tsad Droten_ might do to him. _All the more reason to back off._

She tried once more to distract herself from her then morbid thoughts. This time by focusing on her irritation with the Jedi for summoning her like this. She was a seasoned warrior. Not a trained nek.

This time, she managed to successfully switch her emotions. Kenobi held up a hand in apology as she approached the three Jedi. "I understand that you wish to be with your men right now, Sergeant. But Anakin told me what happened last night. And what you told him." The younger general stood with arms crossed, his Padawan by his side. _I wonder were Rex is? I hope he's okay. I shouldn't have shocked him like that, but they needed to know the truth._ Cordav made a mental note to check on the Captain before they disembarked.

Tano frowned slightly, "Didn't we ask just for you to come, Sergeant?"

Cordav wished that her helmet was on her head and not clipped to her belt. Nothing freaked _aruetiise_ out more than a steady three-beat stare from a Mandalorian helmet. As it was, she gave the Padawan her iciest glare. "My daughter stays with me, Commander. And as far as I'm concerned, as long as this is not a matter of duty, my men are allowed to do as they wish. Fives included," Cordav was careful to keep her tone respectful. "Now, either you've all gathered to interrogate me, or you've found out that the intel I gave General Skywalker was true."

"Not exactly," Skywalker began. "Well, your intel was true, but that's not why we called you here." He glanced at Kenobi before continuing, "Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and I have done some research and... it seems that there are no provisions made for disabled clones."

"Not even a safe house for them to stay," Tano said, visibly upset. And Skylar was instantly sorry for glaring at the Padawan. Ahsoka obviously cared for the men. But since she was just a Padawan Learner and not in a position of power, there really was nothing she could do for them beside fight alongside them.

Cordav sighed, very aware of Fives right behind her. "I could have told you that. No one would even think about a sanctuary for men like Gabe given what almost happened last night and what I told you."

"And that brings us to the matter at hand," Kenobi spoke diplomatically. "At the moment, the only place where there is room for Sergeant Gabe is at Arca Barracks. However, that is not a place for a disabled man. There is no one there who is equipped to meet his needs."

"That, and he's no longer a soldier," Skywalker cut in. Cordav bristled, getting ready to hand Teanna to Fives so that she could punch the _Jetii_ into the next solar system for even suggesting that Gabe wasn't a good soldier. _Wait a second._ That's not what Skywalker had meant.

Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth several times before she could even speak. "You mean that he's being invalided out? You can't be serious!" Fives stiffened in surprise.

The Jedi Master standing next to Skywalker smiled slightly, "I assure you, Sergeant Skylar, that we are being quite serious. The real reason that we called you here was to ask you if you might have any ideas as to where Gabe might stay until such a home is prepared for him."

Skylar didn't even bat an eye, "As a matter of fact, I do." _Gabe, you are the luckiest man alive!_ "A close friend of mine on Coruscant is a nurse. Her name is Deena Juntira. She lives not too far from the barracks and she's quite able to care for my brother indefinitely."

Ahsoka opened her mouth but was interrupted by little Tea, who'd been tapping on Cordav's forearm plate for the past minute and had decided that she couldn't wait any longer, "What does 'in-va... in-va-la...?"

Cordav chuckled, "Invalided. It means that, because Gabe was hurt so badly, he doesn't have to be in the army anymore." Her expression turned just a little stern, "And it's not polite to interrupt, _ad'ika_."

"Sorry, _Buir_."

Cordav kissed her daughter on the spot right between her tiny montrals before turning back to Skywalker's Padawan, "My apologies, Commander. You were saying?"

"I was going to ask why you refer to your men as your brothers, Sergeant. If you don't mind my asking."

"Not at all. And call me Skylar. Most everyone else does. As to your question, my father was their training sergeant. According to Mandalorian custom, he adopted all one hundred and four of his boys. As far as I know, my _Buir_ was the only one to do that. So, by Mandalorian law, the boys my father and I trained are my brothers and the only family I've got."

The three Jedi exchanged amazed looks and Cordav heard Fives take a small breath. Clearly, none of them had been expecting that. And, judging from the Jedi's faces, it floored them to hear that a traditional Mandalorian could be so selfless.

_Those _hut'unnla_ Death Watch. If I ever get my hands on any one of them... _That would have to wait. Right then, Skylar needed to somehow get some privacy to call Deena and let her know what was going on. That was going to be extremely hard since Fives seemed practically glued to her side ever since she'd broken down the night before.

Skylar smiled hugely at the Jedi. _Okay, maybe they aren't _all_ bad._ Of course, if she ever was given the opportunity to scold these three for not complaining about the fact that the clones were a slave army, she'd take it up in a heartbeat. But right now wasn't the time. Cordav decided to tell Gabe the news before she called his wife. _He needs something to look forward to._

"_Vor'entye._ _Thank you_." Without even waiting to be dismissed, she rushed out of the briefing room. _I know I'm breaking protocol and acting like a little kid, but I can't help it_. It was her life's dream to see her brothers freed and Gabe was the first.

"Where are we going, _Buir_?" Teanna asked when they were halfway to the medical bay.

"We're going to tell your Uncle Gabe the good news. And then you're going with Fives so that I can call Miss Deena." Skylar stopped dead, looking up at Fives a little guiltily, "Sorry. I should have asked you first, _F'ika_. You don't mind, do you?"

"Why would I?" His beautiful brown eyes met hers seriously and it was hard for her to stick by her decision to back off. His safety was more important to her than... _This is going to be _much_ harder than I thought._

* * *

><p><em>osik = crap<em>

_Jetiise = Jedi (in the plural)_

_ad'ika = little one_

_shabla Tsad Droten__ = screwed up Republic_

_aruetiise = outsiders, non-Mandalorians_

_Jetii = Jedi (in the plural)_

_Buir = mama/papa_

_hut'uunla = cowardly  
><em>

__Vor'entye_ = Thank you_

_Please R&R._


	20. News

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to ComradeGoonie and laloga for reviewing!  
><em>

* * *

><p>"Why would I?" Fives didn't know why Skylar's face flushed and she looked away from him. She'd seemed on edge ever since the night before and, if it wasn't for the fact that she did that only when he looked at her, he would have thought that it had something to do with Gabe. <em>I must have done something wrong. I <em>knew_ I should have held her last night._ For the hundredth time since she'd hugged him, he shook his head in an effort to clear it. _Why am I even thinking like this? She's my sergeant, my CO._ And that was as far as their relationship went. _But why do I feel like this?_

He was about to ask Sky what in the galaxy was going on with her when Teanna wiggled out of her mother's arms.

"Rex!" The little Togruta literally launched herself at the Captain, running into his leg so hard that she almost made him fall. _It's a wonder she didn't hurt herself on his leg plates._

The older clone rubbed the top of her head affectionately, "Hey, kid. You behaving yourself?"

"Yep. Guess what, Rex?"

Rex removed his helmet and nodded at both Skylar and Fives before turning his attention back to the sergeant's daughter. "What, Tea?"

"I'm not an or... or-phan anymore. _Buir_ adopted me!" Rex looked up at Skylar with raised brows.

She chuckled, "We Mandos can't resist kids, Captain. I've already squared it with the Governor, in case you're wondering."

The blonde clone picked up the little girl, "You sure that you can handle this, Sergeant?"

"Call me 'Skylar.' And yes, I know what I'm doing. I helped my father handle one hundred and four very active little boys when I was no more than a kid myself. I can look after one little girl. Tea's no trouble."

Speaking of Tea, Fives couldn't help but notice that she seemed to be a little down. She hadn't gotten the same ecstatic reaction from Rex about her adoption that she'd gotten from Tor and Beta. _She's got a good reason to be upset. Tea thinks that the world revolves around Rex._

Fives folded his arms and caught his Captain's gaze. The ARC widened his eyes slightly and jerked his head toward Skylar's little girl.

Rex finally took notice of his mistake, "Sorry, Tea. That's great." The little girl beamed and hugged his neck.

"_F'ika_?"

"Yeah, Sky?" _There I go again. I hope she doesn't notice._ No, he did hope that she would notice. _But why? Maybe-_

"Could you take Teanna to the med bay? I need to talk with the Captain about something."

His shoulders slumped ever so slightly, "Uh, sure." Rex set the little Togruta down and her hand latched onto the ARC trooper's.

She tugged at him, pulling him after her, "C'mon, Fives! Let's go tell Uncle Gabe that he's being in-va... in-va-la... that he's getting out!"

Fives laughed as he scooped her up, "Okay, squirt." _I didn't think I'd like being around kids this much._ Teanna's innocence was not enough to keep him from mulling over his feelings for the little Togruta's mother, though. He didn't even know what he was feeling. _There's no sense to keep thinking about Sky like this. So, why can't I get her out of my head? I know she sees me as family. What I don't know is why does that upset me so much?_

When the two of them reached the med bay, Gabe was finally sleeping. After what almost happened to him last night, it was no wonder that the former sergeant had stayed up most of the night. And Tor Squad was nowhere to be seen. Probably getting some much needed rest too. The other three members of Beta were still right where he and Skylar had left them to meet with the Jedi. The only difference was that Hew was the only one still awake. Top and Doz were both fast asleep themselves.

"Hey, Fives, you babysitting again? Skylar must really like you." The ARC trooper knew that the tech expert hadn't meant anything by it, but he felt his face burning all the same. _Okay, something's definitely wrong here. I just wish I knew what it was..._

Hew's expression turned questioning, but he didn't say anything. He wasn't like Doz. And for that, Fives was extremely grateful. Tea wiggled out of his arms and about bounded to the other clone, making the two of them laugh.

"Guess what, Uncle Hew."

Hew looked at her, acting confused, "What, _ad'ika_? Judging from the way you're bouncing, I'd say that it's something good."

Teanna's little smile widened, "It is!" And, of course, her outburst woke up the rest of Beta.

"What's the big idea?" Doz grumbled drowsily. Top swatted the back of his head and Gabe shifted uneasily on the bed. Trying to sit up on his own. Without a word, Hew stood up and helped his sergeant adjust the bed.

Tea climbed up onto the bed carefully. Fives couldn't help but chuckle at the memory of Cordav admonishing her daughter to be gentle around her injured uncle.

Gabe smiled at the little girl and wrapped an arm around her, "What're you so excited about, _T'ika_?"

"Well... You know that me, _Buir_, and Fives-"

"_Buir_, Fives, and I," Top corrected gently. Earning a scathing glare from his niece. It only made the five clones laugh. Of course, if it had come from Skylar... _We'd probably be shaking in our boots right now._

"I was going to say that Obi-Wan and two of his friends told us that you're being in-va..." She shook her head. "I hate big words," the little girl mumbled under her breath.

Gabe's brow furrowed and he looked up at Fives, "What's going on, _vod'ika_?"

"You're being invalided out."

The sergeant's eyes widened, "But... what's going to happen to my squad?" He looked around at Top, Hew, and Doz. "I can't just leave you guys. What if-"

"_Udesii_,_ ner vod_. Sky won't let anything happen to us. You know that," Hew spoke up reassuringly. For a quiet man, he seemed to be the emotional backbone of this squad.

Gabe looked down at his lap, "You know that's not what I meant. If something happens to any of you while I'm sitting on my backside..."

"It won't be your fault, Sarge," Doz said. "If we get into trouble it'll be our own _di'kutla_ faults. Not yours."

"And you're not 'sitting on your backside,' _Gab'ika_. You're disabled," Top held up a hand as Gabe flinched. "It's the truth and you're going to have to come to terms with that. Out in the field is no place for you to be and you know it." Top's voice softened, "We're not gonna forget about you either, Sarge."

"You're not excited?" Teanna asked with a little pout on her face. Absolutely pitiful. Fives had to cover his mouth with his hand so that the kid couldn't see him smiling.

Gabe sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand, "Just a little. I'm not used to being separated from my brothers, _ad'ika_."

"But you _won't_ be. You're staying with Miss Deena. _Buir_ said that she doesn't live too far from the ba... ba..."

"Barracks?" Top asked, one eyebrow raised.

Teanna nodded her head and Fives noticed that Gabe's eyes were huge. "What was this Deena's last name, Fives?"

"Juntira. Skylar said that she's a close friend of hers." The youngest clone was very careful not to say his sergeant's nickname in front of Doz.

Said clone nodded his head, "Ours too. Gabe saved her life about a year and a half ago. We usually go to her place on those rare occasions that we actually get leave."

Gabe seemed very uncomfortable. When he spoke, his voice was so quiet that Fives had to strain to hear it, "What I don't understand is why Sky volunteered her in the first place. Yeah, I'd like to see her again, but she's got a newborn to take care of. She doesn't need me moping around."

Doz had his typical silly grin on his face that was almost identical to Devrin's, "Something tells me that Deena won't mind much, bro. In fact, I _guarantee_ that she'll be _very_ happy to see _you_."

_I wonder what that's all about._

* * *

><p><em>Buir = mama<em>

_ad'ika = little one_

_vod'ika = little brother  
><em>

_udesii = take it easy_

_ner vod = my brother_

_di'kutla = idiotic  
><em>

_Please R&R._


	21. Thirteen

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to ComradeGoonie, laloga, and Depthcharge2030 for reviewing!  
><em>

* * *

><p>As soon as Fives and Teanna were out of earshot, Rex crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at Skylar as she shifted uncomfortably.<p>

"You and Fives," was all the Captain said. Skylar wanted to shoot herself for not even considering that other clones besides her brothers might be able to see what she was beginning to feel for the ARC trooper. Her _buir_ had often told her that her face was like an open holobook and that she needed to be careful with her expressions. And since clones were used to looking for the thousand and one little differences that made someone unique, they read her easily. At least, Captain Rex had.

Cordav shook her head, one hand on her hip as she pinched the bridge of her nose with the other, "I wish. But it's not like that, and it'll never be like that. I won't allow it, sir." She crossed her arms. "Fives and I both have jobs to do and we don't need _any_ distractions." _K'uur, Skylar!_ At the rate she was going, she might as well go ahead and confess to one of the _Jetiise_.

Rex seemed a little taken aback at her answer. "As long as it stays that way, I don't see the need to mention it to our COs, then." _No wonder Fives likes you so much, Captain._ "As far as I know, we never had this conversation." If he had been one of her brothers, she would not have hesitated to hug him. As it was, she didn't want to embarrass him. _I still can't believe that I hugged Fives last night. Judging by the fact that he didn't hug me back, I either shocked him or he doesn't feel the same way... Skylar Cordav! Focus!_

"Thanks, Captain."

"Call me 'Rex.'" He seemed clearly uneasy having a nonclone defer to him.

"'Skylar.'"

"Okay, Skylar," the blonde clone unfolded his arms, one hand resting on the helmet hooked to his belt. "What did you want to talk with me about?"

"Well, I just wanted to make sure that you were alright. I know my news last night shocked you pretty bad."

Rex cleared his throat, "Well, I wasn't exactly expecting it."

Before either one could say anything else, the 501st Captain's wrist comlink beeped, "Rex here."

Skylar patted his arm wordlessly and headed to the med bay. _At least he knows that I care._ It seemed to be the only thing she was capable of doing lately. _But caring didn't keep Gabe from being paralyzed. And it didn't help my brothers that lost their lives._ She stopped right before the doors to the medical bay and shook her head. _I've gotta stop thinking like this._

The doors opened and a clone almost walked into her. From his posture, Cordav could tell that something wasn't right. She doubted that he was even capable of paying attention to where he was going.

The sergeant caught his arm and pulled him to a standstill. "What's wrong, trooper?" she questioned gently, looking at the spot on his visor where she knew his eyes were.

"Nothing, ma'am." He pulled his arm out of her grip.

"It's not nothing," Skylar said, blocking his escape. "I can tell by your posture and your voice that something bad's happened to you."

"I just lost the last man in my squadron, ma'am. I really don't want to talk about it." She knew that feeling all too well. But Skylar also knew that if it wasn't for her brothers forcing her to talk about their losses, she'd have been a nutcase.

"You don't have to. Not right now. But I'd at least like to know your name and number, so I can check on you later."

He stiffened, taken by surprise. "Umm. My number is CT-9075/3213. I don't have a name, ma'am."

"What did your brothers call you?" she asked softly. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to, _vod'ika_." He cocked his helmeted head. "Means 'little brother.'"

"Thirteen, ma'am. My squadron called me 'Thirteen.'" Displacement. He was trying to deal with his loss by acting as if he hadn't been that close to his teammates. Cordav had seen it happen before.

"Okay, Thirteen. You can call me 'Skylar.' I'll be around to check on you later, I promise. No funny business, alright?"

"Uhh... Yes, ma'am. I mean, Skylar." She smiled softly and stepped aside to let him pass. Even though she didn't have her helmet on, and therefore didn't have access to the 360, she knew that Thirteen had looked back at her before he rounded the corner. _I'd better check up with him after I call Deena and no later._ There was no telling what a grieving man might do. Especially if he was the last of his team. Jinx had been a wreck after the Battle of Geonosis. And, although she hadn't heard of a clone committing suicide before, it was still probable. _The best way to make sure that he doesn't do anything stupid in the future is to stick him with some of my boys. Maybe Beta could take him under their wing, now that Gabe's out of commission. I'll com Zey about it as soon I know that Thirteen's okay._

After checking in with Fives, Teanna, and Beta, and reassuring Gabe in a roundabout way that his wife wouldn't think him a burden, Skylar headed back to her quarters to com Deena on the secure channel that Mereel had programmed into her handheld comlink.

_"Sky, it's the middle of the night here. What in the _manda_ are you thinking?"_ The half-human woman gasped as she realized something, _"Is Gabe okay?"_

"Sort of, Deena. He's alive and he sends his love."

_"How bad is he hurt?"_ The other woman seemed close to panicking and Skylar couldn't blame her. Gabe was the love of Deena's life and she cared more about him and their baby than she did about herself.

"He's paralyzed from the waist down." Gabe's wife gasped, and Skylar hurried with the rest before the other woman freaked out too much. "The good news is that he's being invalided out. I told the _Jetiise_ about you being a nurse and... Get this. I managed to talk them into letting Gabe stay with _you_."

Absolute silence as her sister-in-law digested the news. _If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that she'd fainted._ But Deena was a strong woman just like herself. It was one reason why Gabe had been so infatuated with her from the start. When those muggers had cornered the woman, she'd fought tooth and nail even though she'd once told Skylar that she'd known it was hopeless. How she'd managed to hold on until Gabe happened to come to her rescue, Deena still didn't know.

_"You're not pulling my leg, Sky?"_

"Never about this." The sound of her little niece crying came over the link. "I'd better let you go so that you can tend to Briika. Give her a kiss for me, 'kay?"

_"Okay. Tell my husband that I love him and that Briika and I can't wait to see him!"_

Skylar chuckled, "Will do."

After closing the link, she sighed to herself. Talking with Deena and hearing the affection for her husband in the other woman's voice left her feeling restless. It made her think of Fives even more and that was a luxury she couldn't afford for his sake. _You have no idea how I feel about you, do you, _F'ika_? I wish you did, but that's just the way it has to be..._

_Now to check on Thirteen._

She decided to check the mess for him before she went to his squadron's quarters. If he wasn't in the mess hall, she could still grab him something to eat. Clones were bottomless pits. They'd eat almost anything put in front of them and they were especially fond of sweets. Before entering the mess, Skylar checked one of her belt pouches to make sure that she still had a few pieces of that candied fruit left. Since Thirteen was just a trooper, she doubted that anyone had even thought to introduce him to candy. _Well, I'm going to rectify that right now._

_I'd better make sure that I save some for Fives._

* * *

><p><em>k'uur = be quiet<em>

_Jetiise = Jedi (in the plural)_

_manda = Mandalorian collective oversoul_

_Please R&R._


	22. Attempt

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to laloga and ComradeGoonie for reviewing!_

* * *

><p>Skylar gently knocked on the door to Thirteen's quarters, her other hand balancing a tray of food. She hadn't found the trooper in the mess, so, naturally, she figured he'd be in there.<p>

Two minutes and still no answer. _I don't like the feel of this. Something's _definitely_ not right here_. She set the tray down next to the wall and punched in an override command that Jaing had given her into the door's control panel. Being close with Kal and the Nulls definitely had its advantages.

But all thoughts of the six special forces clones and their fierce _buir_ were wiped from her mind at the sight that greeted her when the door opened. Thirteen was sitting on a bunk with a blaster pistol in his hand. He didn't even look up from the weapon he was mulling over. The trooper seemed to be considering something and Cordav didn't like the direction that the pistol was beginning to point to. _I've got to do something now! Not too fast, though. I really don't want to spook him while he still has that piece aimed at his face._

"Thirteen? Thirteen, _vod'ika_, please look at me." His eyes met hers and she could see the hopelessness in his brown gaze. "Don't do this. It's not worth it."

"I've got nothing left, Sergeant." No emotion in his voice. _He's worse off than I thought. I _should_ have followed him. I should _never_ have let him go off on his own._

"Yes you _do_, _Teen'ika_. Why else do you think I'm here?"

The hand that held the pistol moved to his lap, with the business end of the blaster pointed away from him. Skylar almost breathed a sigh of relief. _Vor entye. Now, to get that thing away from him_.

Thirteen's face was hard, "Why do you care so much? You're not a clone. You don't know what it's like to lose brothers."

That _hurt_. Skylar took a careful step towards him, her gaze on his eyes but she was still careful to keep the blaster pistol in her peripheral view. She wasn't afraid of him shooting her. She was watching the weapon so that she could step in and wrestle it away from him if she needed to.

"Yes I do, _vod'ika_. I've lost twenty-four brothers. All of them were clones, like yourself. I don't have to be a clone to care." She took another careful step. "Thirteen, do you really think this is the right thing to do?"

He looked down at the floor, a few tears running down his face, "I don't know, Sarge. I've never been without them. And now they're gone."

Very slowly, Cordav settled herself next to him on the bunk. "They wouldn't want you to do this, _vod'ika_." She gently laid her gloved hand on top of his bigger one. "May I?"

He nodded and she pulled the pistol out of his hand, clipping it to her belt securely. She breathed a sigh of relief and realized that Thirteen was watching her face, "You really do care, don't you, Sarge?"

"More than you know, Thirteen," she reached up and ruffled his short black curls. He flinched slightly. "_Udesii_, _vod'ika_. Take it easy."

That was when her wrist comlink chirped and Fives' voice spoke up, "Sky, where are you?" That familiar little thrill ran up her spine at the sound of her nickname being spoken by the ARC.

"Visiting. Where are you?"

"Still in the med bay. Tea's been asking for you." _What a wonderful mother I'm turning out to be. Every time I turn around, I'm dumping my little girl off on Fives. This has gotta stop_ now_._

Thirteen shifted uneasily, "If you've got to be somewhere, Sarge, I understand."

_No way in the _manda_ am I going to leave you alone after what you just tried to do, _vod'ika_._ Cordav grabbed his hand and pulled him up with her. "C'mon, Thirteen. Time to introduce you to the ARC and the crazy commandos."

"Commandos?"

Skylar nodded, her full attention on him, watching his face so carefully that she completely forgot about the tray of food she'd set down outside the door. At least, until she stepped on it.

"_Osik_! Thirteen, do you think you could help me...?" she trailed off when he started laughing. At first, she glared at him. _This isn't really funny. Embarrassing. But not funny._ But his laughter was so infectious that she found herself doubling over. It was several minutes before she could catch her breath, "Keep laughing, _vod'ika_. This was _your_ dinner," she teased as she wiped her boot off with an old rag that she'd had the sense of mind to keep in her belt.

Instant silence. She looked up at his face and couldn't help but laugh again, "We'll get you some more, Thirteen. I'm not gonna let you starve." She dropped the rag on the tray before she picked the thing up in one hand and fished in her belt pouch with the other.

Thirteen caught the palm-sized candied fruit she'd tossed to him, "This should tide you over, in the meantime."

"Uhh... Thanks, Sarge." He still seemed uneasy about calling her by her name. And she wasn't going to push him. Thirteen wasn't like Fives. The trooper needed more time to cope.

"You're very welcome. If you don't like it, let me know, 'kay?" He nodded uncertainly, unwrapping the package as if it were a miniature thermal det. And Cordav was overtaken with anger at how these men were being treated. Wet droids, she'd heard some civvies on Corrie call them. Wet droids, grunts, _expendable_. Whenever she came across people like that, it took all of her willpower not to gut them right there. Right then, though, she had no one to focus her anger on. _I need to calm down, or Thirteen's gonna pick up on my mood._

They dropped off the tray and she made sure that Thirteen ate a full meal before she led him to the medical bay. Before they reached it, however, the doors opened and Teanna ran towards Skylar, Fives right behind the little girl. The ARC trooper stopped as soon as he saw Cordav.

Skylar tore her gaze away from Fives' handsome face and crouched to catch her hysterical daughter. She pulled Teanna into her arms and the little Togruta buried her face into Cordav's neck, "_Udesii_, _T'ika_. I'm here, baby. I'm here." She kissed her Tea's head and looked back up at the ARC trooper, "What happened, _F'ika_?"

"She fell asleep while you were gone. I think she had a nightmare. We all tried to console her, but she wanted _you_." _And I took my precious time coming to her._

"Fives, could you introduce Thirteen to Beta?" The ARC nodded wordlessly and motioned for the trooper to follow him. Thirteen looked to her and she nodded.

He turned to follow Fives and Skylar turned her full attention to the child crying in her arms, "I'm so sorry, _ad'ika_. I _never_ should have made you wait for me. _Udesii_."

"I miss D-daddy and M-mommy. I want them b-back, _Buir_."

_I don't blame you, Tea. I've done a rotten job so far, huh?_ "I know. Shh... I know. I'm here." She put her hand under the little girl's chin, meeting the little Togruta's hazel eyes, "I love you, _ner_ _T'ika_, and nothing will _ever_ change that, okay?" _And I promise to be a better mother to you from here on out._

* * *

><p><em>buir = papamama_

_vod'ika = little brother_

_vor entye = thank you_

_udesii = take it easy_

_manda = heaven_

_ad'ika = little one_

_ner = my_

_Please R&R._


	23. Tension

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to laloga, Depthcharge2030, and ComradeGoonie for reviewing!  
><em>

* * *

><p>One more hour until they reached Coruscant. Fives was supposed to be sleeping, but he was still wide awake. One reason was that Skylar was pacing the length of Thirteen's squadron's quarters. The Mando woman had insisted that she, Fives, and Tor stay with the trooper. While the solitary clone had been talking with Beta, she'd taken the ARC and Tor Squad aside to let them know what had almost happened as she held a distraught Tea close. Fives' horror about the incident was still fresh. That was the other reason why he couldn't sleep. <em>That could have been me. If I hadn't had Rex to talk to after Echo... I might have tried that.<em> Because he'd been able to confide in the Captain, the thought had never crossed his mind. Thankfully.

Cordav began to pass his bunk again. On impulse, he reached out and grabbed her hand as he sat up, "What's got you on edge, Sky?" She blushed slightly at the contact and he pulled his hand away quickly, even though he didn't want to. _I am so lucky that everyone else is asleep. 'Cause I would never hear the end of it._

Fives turned to let his legs hang off the side of the bunk and Cordav settled beside him. But still keeping her distance. _When did this happen? Usually, she sits _right_ next to me. Like she does with her brothers._

"I can't get that picture out of my head, _F'ika_." _She hasn't called me '_vod'ika_' in a while now. I wonder why that is?_ "I honestly thought that Thirteen was going to pull that trigger. That I was going to have to watch him die."

"But he didn't. You saved his life. How did you manage to talk him out of it?" Said clone shifted on his bunk and both were silent. But Thirteen just started snoring softly. _It's a wonder he can even sleep. Guess knowing that we're here helps._

"I just let him know that he wasn't alone." She fingered the pistol still clipped to her belt, "But I'm still worried about him. He's a lot worse than Jinx was after Geonosis."

"Jinx? What happened to him on Geonosis?"

"Devrin, Dover, and Quirk only lost their sergeant, Frost. Jinx lost his _entire_ squad. The three brothers he grew up with. He was so upset that he refused to eat for a few days. I came very close to force-feeding him. In fact, it was me threatening to do that very thing that snapped him out of it. They all still have nightmares about that battle. Including Beta, even though they've never lost a close brother before."

"I guess Jinx and I have more in common than I'd thought," Fives mused, absently setting his hand down. It wasn't until Skylar's hand latched onto his did he realize that he'd accidentally set his hand down on top of hers. And she wasn't about to let go. She was holding his hand almost as tightly as Tea had clutched herself to him back in the Kadavo mines. Aside from the single tear running down Cordav's face, her death grip on his hand was the only hint that she was still very upset.

On another impulse, he reached over with his other hand to wipe the tear away and she leaned into his hand, eyes closed. Before she pulled away and shook her head so hard that her hair flew. _I stepped out of line. Why did I have to do that?_ "Sorry, Sky," he apologized morosely.

"It's okay, Fives." _I've gone and made her uncomfortable._ At that thought, there was a small sinking in his chest. _Why does it matter so much that she's comfortable around me? _At least the woman still hadn't pulled her hand out of his.

Skylar cleared her throat and changed the subject. "I've done a rotten job with Teanna so far, haven't I?" she asked, her brown gaze on her daughter. The little Togruta was fast asleep in her mother's bunk.

Fives head turned sharply toward Skylar, "No, you haven't. Why are you even thinking that?"

"Every time I turn around, I'm dumping her on you, _F'ika_." He started to protest, but she put up her free hand to silence him, "Fives, I'm her _mother_. It's _my_ job to look after her and care for her. Not yours."

Fives was silent for a moment. In a way, she did have a point. "But, if I hadn't been watching her, you wouldn't have been able to save Gabe and Thirteen. Teanna understands, Hew's already talked with her about it."

"All the same, I can't help but think that I've been ignoring her. Fives?"

"Yeah, Sky?"

"If it ever looks like I might start ignoring my daughter again, do me a favor and smack me one, okay?"

The very thought of hitting Skylar for any other reason than a friendly spar made him flinch. _I could never do that to her. I..._ His face started burning as a realization came to him. _I'm starting to _care_ about her. _That's_ what I've been feeling._ _And _that's_ why she blushes and acts uneasy around me. She cares about me too. But why hasn't she said anything about it?_ "Talk sternly to you, maybe. But I'm not going to hit you for no reason. So, please don't ask again, Sky."

Her eyes met his and she bit her lip, face flushing harder than he'd ever seen. She pulled her hand from his and set her clasped hands in her lap. Absolute silence. Both of them were completely still. Fives found that he could barely breathe. _Just my luck. I finally realize that I care for her and I push her away. Why oh why did I have to be so straightforward? Maybe she doesn't want this. I'm just a clone, after all._

She cleared her throat and looked away. And his shoulders slumped in defeat. "I guess it's back to cross-training when we get back to base, huh?" she asked quietly.

"I guess so."

"Which boys do you think would work best together?"

They spent the rest of the hour sitting a meter apart and discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the men they had been assigned. Barely meeting each other's eyes. Every time they did, they'd look away. Fives actually breathed a sigh of relief when the ship finally docked on Coruscant. He and Skylar woke the rest of the men in the quarters and all of them began putting their kit together. The Star Destroyer was to be picking up supplies and undergoing maintainance, so there was no hurry. At least for the commandos. It was a different story for the troopers who were disembarking to ship out again for another battle. Thirteen was now a commando-in-training under Skylar's charge, so he stayed with them.

Cordav left her armor plates and helmet in her pack and began emptying her belt and pockets of her weapons. Fives watched, mezmorized by the amount of weapons she was still pulling off her person. He'd never seen _anyone_ carry that much kit. Carefully, she wrapped each piece in a rag and laid them in her bag, only leaving the small hold-out blaster in her right boot. She went to shoulder the backpack, but he took it from her.

"I've got it, Sky. Teanna will probably want you to carry her." He shifted the bag. _This thing's got to weigh at least fifteen kilos. That's more than half as much as a commando's pack._ Cordav never ceased to amaze him. _Which is probably why I couldn't get her out of my head in the first place._

She patted his arm wordlessly before turning to wake her daughter and his shoulders slumped again. _She knows that I care about her. And she knows that I know that she cares about me. So why ignore it? Unless I'm right about her not wanting... whatever this is. She probably just wants to see me as another brother. I'll just have to be satisfied with that. For her sake._

Dover met his eyes questioningly and Fives just shook his head. _I've got to do a better job at hiding this._

* * *

><p><em>Please R&amp;R.<em>


	24. Reason

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

* * *

><p><em>That was the longest hour in my entire life. <em>Skylar gently shook Tea, trying to wake her. The little girl just rolled over. So the woman gently picked up her slumbering daughter, murmuring gently as Teanna stirred a little. _She must still be exhausted if she's sleeping like this. _Just thinking of what the little Togruta might have had to endure at the hands of the Zygerrians was enough to make her want to go back there and... _Udesii, Skylar._

She turned to smile at Fives to thank him for taking her bag, even though she was capable of carrying it and her little girl, but the ARC trooper's back was turned, his shoulders slumped as he finished packing his own pack.

Dover met her eyes, a question in his gaze and she just shook her head sadly. He narrowed his eyes, giving her his 'we'll talk about this later' look that her boys had picked up from her _buir_. She rolled her own eyes. Now that Dover knew, he was going to tell Jinx about it. And then she'd have to sit down and give them, Gabe, and Deena _all_ of the details of what was happening with her.

_As long as they keep Doz and Devrin in the dark, I think I might survive._ Her eyes went back to Fives for just a moment before she leaned against the wall as she waited for her boys. _What makes this even harder is that _F'ika_ does know how I feel about him. And, by the way he acted, I know that he cares for me too. I _almost_ kissed him._

"Hey Sky!" Devrin exclaimed, earning several admonishments to be quiet for Tea and getting a weird look from Thirteen, who looked to Cordav.

"He's usually worse than this, _vod'ika_." She turned to the blue-haired clone, "Lower your voice, _Dev'ika_. I'm not deaf, ya know."

At least he had to the dignity of mind to look sheepish, "Sorry, _ori'vod_. Forgot." She rolled her eyes. _Sure, you forgot._ "Do you think we have time to show the troopers the _Dha Werda_?"

"This wouldn't have anything to do with your need to be a showoff, now would it, _ner vod_?" she teased, earning chuckles and snickers from Devrin's squadmates.

"Well... that, and the _Dha Werda_'s a lot of fun. The troopers need to learn it too, don't you think?" And Devrin had officially crossed over into begging. He'd been terrible at it as a kid, and he was even worse as an adult. _He does have a valid point, though. And it'll help me get my mind off my feelings for Fives... At least for five minutes. If this _di'kutla_ war wasn't still going on..._ Skylar shook her head.

"What's the _Dha Werda_?" Thirteen questioned uneasily.

Skylar smiled encouragingly at him, but it was Fives who answered. Which surprised her given his surly mood just moments ago. "_Dha Werda Verda_. 'Rage of the Shadow Warriors.' It's a Mandalorian war chant. Psyches you up." _He's still upset. He usually elaborates more than this._

"Mandalorian?"

Devrin nodded. Since Cordav hadn't said no right away, he'd been so excited about the possibility of showing off that he'd packed his rucksack in record time. And was now watching her closely, waiting for her answer.

"Okay, _fine_."

"_Kandosii_!" Tor Squad miraculously managed to keep the noise down. She couldn't help but chuckle quietly. It didn't matter how big they'd gotten, they still reminded her of those little boys she'd first laid eyes on.

Thirteen looked to her again and she explained what that word meant. Fives suddenly jerked, then stalked out of the room. Dover looked at Cordav pointedly and inclined his head slightly, indicating that she should follow the ARC.

He came and gently took Teanna from her arms, "I've got her, sis. Go see what's bugging Fives."

"Dov, I can't just keep neglecting her every time something happens. I'm her _mother_."

"And I'm her _ba'vodu_," he pointed out quietly as Devrin started to excitedly explain the finer points of Mandalorian culture to Thirteen. "You're _not_ neglecting her. I haven't spent much time with my niece and, well... I'm putting my foot down." That earned him a quiet chuckle from her. "Go see what's bugging your boyfriend."

She scowled at him, "He's not my boyfriend, Dover."

"Just _go_." She gave him another scowl before heading out. Just in time to see Fives disappear around the corner, heading towards the landing bays.

"_F'ika_! Wait up!" _He must have stopped, I can't hear his footsteps anymore._ Skylar jogged to catch up with him quickly. "Fives, what's wrong?"

"It's not important, Sky," he winced as he spoke her nickname. "Sorry, Skylar." His voice was just a little cold as he said her first name. _I really hurt him._ The Mando woman was actually getting close to crying. _I _never_ meant that. I only wanted to protect him._ He started to walk away again.

"Fives, please." Something in her voice stopped him in his tracks.

He turned slowly back to her, "I really don't want to talk right now."

"If it's about last night, _I'm_ sorry." She looked around to make sure that they were alone. They were. "But if the wrong people found out about how we feel about each other... You'll... You'll be..."

His eyes widened, "Are you saying that you actually _care_ about me?"

Cordav hugged herself, "Yes, but, Fives. We can't."

"And why not? There's nothing in the regs that say we can't. I should know. I told you that Echo was always quoting the manuals. Unless you don't think of me like that-"

"It's not that, _F'ika_. And yes, there's nothing in the regulations about this. But if the wrong people find out, I'll be kicked out, which is nothing. But you..." her voice broke and Fives stepped closer to her, his face concerned. She backed away, "If the wrong people find out, _F'ika_, you'll be... _reconditioned_. I won't be the cause of your death, Fives. I'd rather you be alive and mad with me then..." Skylar shivered. Just thinking about him being killed was enough to tear her apart.

"It _won't_ happen. I won't let it."

"You can't say that Fives. I can't tell you how many times Gabe and Deena were almost found out," she covered her mouth in shock. _I can't believe I just told him that!_

"Gabe and Deena? That explains Doz's joking." His eyes widened, "Wait. The newborn Gabe was talking about. Is that...?"

"His baby, yes. Fives, you can't breathe a word of this to _anyone_."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Sarge. I only have one question." _Sarge?_ That hurt more than any injury she'd ever had.

"Yeah, _F'ika_?"

"If Gabe is allowed to be with Deena-"

"Deena's not in the army like me, Fives. So, it's easier for them to hide than it would have been for you and me. Rex already knows, he's already confronted me." They stood there, both uneasy. She began to walk back to relieve Dover of her daughter, but froze and turned back towards him, "I'm only doing this for your safety, Fives. Please don't be angry with me."

She turned around and started walking again, very aware that he was following her, "I'm not angry, Sky." _At least we're back to the nickname. I know how you feel, Fives. I wish we could too._

_Shabu'Droten._

* * *

><p><em>udesii = calm down<em>

_buir = father_

_vod'ika = little brother_

_ori'vod = big sister_

_ner vod = my brother_

_Dha Werda Verda = Rage of the Shadow Warriors (traditional Mandalorian war chant used to psyche up warriors and intimidate enemies)_

_di'kutla = idiotic, stupid_

_kandosii = excellent_

_ba'vodu = uncle_

_Shabu'Droten = Curse the Republic_

_Please R&R._


	25. Dar'mando'ade

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to laloga and ComradeGoonie for reviewing!_

* * *

><p>Thirteen watched in awe as the Fives and the two commando squads performed the war... dance. <em>It's not really a dance, but there really is no other word for it.<em> Devrin had tried talking him into performing it with them, but the trooper had declined. Even though Sergeant Cordav had insisted that he was one of them, he still felt like the odd man out. These commandos and their sergeant were so different. Not even the Jedi Generals showed this much devotion to their men.

Speaking of Cordav, she was currently sitting on a crate, playing the rhythm for her men on her red flute. Which she had called a _bes'bev_. Gabe, Beta's sergeant, sat next to her in a newly acquired hoverchair, the Sarge's daughter sitting on his lap. Teanna was also watching the performance with wide eyes. Thirteen still found it strange that the little Togruta referred to the clones that her mother trained on Kamino as her uncles. _I guess I shouldn't be surprised since Sarge thinks of us as her little brothers. It's still weird though._

Teanna turned as if she heard something and focused on a point past him. Thirteen followed her gaze and snapped to attention when he saw that Generals Kenobi and Skywalker were walking up. Gabe nodded his head respectfully, but Cordav didn't even bother to lower her flute.

"Obi-Wan!" Tea cried out happily as she carefully slid off of Gabe's lap and then proceeded to run full tilt towards the bearded general.

The older Jedi bent down to greet the child while General Skywalker turned toward Thirteen, "At ease, trooper." He glanced at Fives and the commandos before turning toward the Mando woman. "What's going on here, Sergeant?" He seemed taken aback that she still hadn't even bothered to greet them.

Sarge tapped the bottom of Gabe's hoverchair with her boot and he took the _bes'bev_ from her, picking up where she'd left off. Once the instrument was out of her hands, she then gave both generals a casual salute before her daughter climbed onto her lap, "_Dha Werda Verda_."

"And that is..." General Kenboi asked, running his hand over his beard.

"Rage of the Shadow Warriors. It's an ancient Mandalorian war chant. This version," Sergeant Skylar nodded toward her men, "was changed for the commandos and Alpha ARCs."

"And how, exactly, was it changed?" Kenobi asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Would you like me to translate, Generals?" Sarge quirked an eyebrow at them, amusement plain on her face. _I wonder what it is that she finds so funny?_

"If it's not too much to ask." General Skywalker was starting to get irritated. The fact that a commanding officer's disapproval didn't even faze the sergeant was enough to make Thirteen want to gape at her.

"Not at all." Sarge was quiet for a few minutes, waiting for something. The performing clones started the chant over again and she began translating, "The ash of the Taung beats strong within the Jedi's heart. We are the rage of The Warriors of the Shadow, the first noble sons of Coruscant. Let all those who stand before us light the night sky in flame. Our vengeance burns brighter still." The woman paused again, waiting for her men to start singing the second verse, "The gauntlet of the Republic strikes without mercy. We are the rage of The Warriors of the Shadow, the first noble sons of Coruscant. Let all those who stand before us light the night sky in flame. Our vengeance burns brighter still."

She looked pointedly at the two Jedi, "As you can probably guess, _Jetiise_ means 'Jedi' and _Coruscanta_ means 'Coruscant.' The original chant has _Mando'ade_, 'Mandalorians,' _Manda'yaim_, 'Mandalore.' And _tsad Droten_ means 'Republic.'

"Why bother changing it?" Skywalker asked, watching her warily.

Sargeant Skylar snorted, "If it were up to me, I wouldn't have tampered with it. Jango himself changed the words to make the men more loyal to the Republic."

That earned her surprised looks from both Jedi, "Jango? But why would he...?"

"'Cause a contract's a contract, Kenobi. We Mandos don't break our word. _Ever_."

"Then why would Fett fight against us on Geonosis?"

Cordav tilted her head, "He was contracted to be the clone template and to train the Alpha ARCs, Skywalker. His contract, like mine, didn't include fighting for the Republic." Thirteen couldn't help but notice the contempt in her voice as she spoke of the Republic. "You already know why I'm here though."

"_Buir_?"

"Yeah, _ad'ika_?"

"What's a contract?"

Cordav played with one of her daughter's lekku, making the little girl shake her head in irritation, "It's like a business deal. _Beroyase_, bounty hunters, like me, get paid for doing something for a client." The little girl crinkled her nose earning a chuckle from her mother, "A client is the person or people who hire a bounty hunter. The Republic is my client."

Both Jedi looked at her with astonished faces. "But I thought Mandalore was part of the Republic," Skywalker said, his hand involuntarily going for his lightsaber.

That, apparently, was the _wrong_ thing for the General to say to the Sargeant. This time, Thirteen openly gaped at her as her face contorted in fury, "And who told you that fat lie? Mandalore has never been, and never will be, for that matter, part of the _Tsad Droten_."

"Duchess-" Kenobi began, only to get cut off by Cordav's glare. The woman handed her daughter to Thirteen and marched right into the High General's personal space.

"Kryze may call herself a Mandalorian, but she is _not_. She and her little group have turned their back on their culture, just like the _Kyr'tsad_."

Gabe lowered the flute, narrowing his eyes at Cordav, "_S'ika_. Back off and _udesii_. Before you do something _di'kutla_."

"_Kyr'tsad_?" Kenobi asked, not at all fazed by the Mando woman. Thirteen figured that he should be though, judging from the way that Beta's former sergeant was watching the woman sergeant.

"Death Watch," Cordav said as she backed off, her anger still very clear on her face and in her voice. "They're both _dar'mando'ade_. No longer Mandalorians. They don't even _know_ what it means to _be_ Mandalorian."

Thirteen just stood there uneasily, shifting Teanna in his arms. The little girl was watching her mother with wide eyes. The trooper glanced between both the sergeant and the generals as Fives and the other commandos came over to see what the commotion was about. Jinx put a calming hand on his sergeant's shoulder, "_Udesii_, Sky."

"Yeah, _ori'vod_. Now's not the time for one of your history tirades," Devrin spoke, trying, and failing, to ease the tension.

Sarge stiffened as if she just realized what she was doing, "My apologies, Generals." With that, she turned to Thirteen and took her daughter from him before stalking off.

* * *

><p><em>bes'bev = iron flute<em>

_buir = mama_

_ad'ika = little one_

_beroyase = bounty hunters_

_udesii = calm down/take it easy_

_di'kutla = stupid_

_ori'vod = big sister_

_Please R&R._


	26. Question

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to laloga and ComradeGoonie for reviewing!_

* * *

><p>If Fives hadn't seen Skylar blow up on General Zey, he would have been thoroughly shocked at the way she'd just treated General Kenobi and General Skywalker. As it was, he couldn't help but think that they'd asked for it. He liked and trusted General Skywalker, but he hadn't liked the way the man had reached for his lightsaber while he glared at Sky. The ARC stiffened, shocked as he realized that he had become <em>extremely<em> protective of the Mando woman. _Good thing no one was paying attention to me. I'd hate to think what might happen if General Skywalker caught me glaring at him... I still can't believe I did that._ He made a mental promise to never let that happen again. They were all on the same side.

As Skylar and Teanna disappeared out of the hanger bay, Jinx turned back to the generals, "This is my fault, sirs. I should have mentioned that this was one of her... 'touchy' subjects. Her heart's in the right place."

Kenobi raised a brow, "I have no doubt of that, Jinx. But that is no excuse for your... sister to let her temper out of control. In the middle of a war, one must maintain discipline."

"Actually, sir, she was very much in control," Dover spoke up from Fives' right. "Trust me, Generals, you don't want to see what happens when Skylar _actually_ does lose her temper. I'd say it's scarier than facing the _entire_ droid army on your own."

"And he's not exaggerating," Hew spoke up from the rear of the group. The quieter clone nodded his head respectfully, "If you'll excuse me and Fives, sirs, we'll go check up on her. It's usually not a good idea to let Sky simmer."

"Why Fives, Hew? Why not Jinx?" Skywalker asked before either man took a step towards Sky's exit.

"'Cause Tea's spent more time with him than anyone else, General Skywalker. He's got to watch her so that I can talk to my sister properly."

"Very well. All of you are dismissed then," General Kenobi spoke up. Fives, Thirteen, and the commandos saluted the generals before the ARC followed Hew.

Once they were out of earshot, Fives gave Hew an accusatory glare, "Any one of our brothers could have watched Tea. Are you trying to set me and Skylar up?"

Hew chuckled, "I think you're mistaking me for either Doz or Devrin. But you're right. I didn't pick you to babysit my niece. I picked you 'cause, for some reason, just having you around calms _S'ika_ down. If you weren't there, I have no doubt that she would have showed Kenobi _exactly_ what the Keldabe Kiss is."

"And what is it?" _Knowing Sky, it has _nothing_ to do with kissing._

"A _kov'nyn_. A headbutt. She would have broken his nose."

Fives' eyes widened. _Good thing I _was_ there._ For some reason, the very fact that he had that much influence over Sky was enough to make him just a little lightheaded. _I've got it bad._

The younger clone was drawn out of his musings by the sound of Teanna's voice. From the sound of it, the little girl had just asked her mother a question.

"No, _ad'ika_," Cordav responded. "I don't hate Obi-Wan or his friend. I was just upset that they didn't know the truth about our people."

"You didn't have to yell, _Buir_. That wasn't nice."

"You're completely right, _ner T'ika_. I was wrong, I should have stayed calm. I'm sorry, sweetie." The gentle way in which the woman was talking with her daughter sent a pang through Fives' chest. _I wish Sky would change her mind about us._ But, judging from how headstrong Cordav had shown herself to be so far, Fives knew that there was no chance of that happening until the war was over. _However long that is. And, even if we somehow manage to live through it..._

Hew chose that moment to speak up, "You don't have anything to apologize for, _S'ika_. All three of you messed up. Best thing to do is get over it and move on."

Skylar looked up at them from the alcove that she and her daughter where sitting in. She smiled at Hew, but the look she gave Fives...

Quick as a flash, the expression was gone from her face before he could even discern what it was, "You're right, _H'ika_. As usual," she added begrudgingly, earning chuckles from both men. "There's no reason to sit here and stew. We've still got to get Gabe home and properly introduce you two," she looked at Tea's eyes then met Fives' gaze again," to Deena and Briika." She stood, Teanna's hand gently grasped in hers.

Hew looked extremely uncomfortable, "Are you sure that's a good idea? Teanna, I can understand, but-"

"I already know, Hew," Fives interrupted. "Sky told me by accident."

"You must _really_ like him if you can't keep your mouth shut around him, _ori'vod_," Hew rolled his eyes in exasperation.

And Teanna was looking back and forth between her mother and Fives, "_Buir_, if you like Fives, does that mean that he's going to be my daddy?"

Said ARC trooper felt his cheeks burning and he had no doubt that his face was turning bright red. He wasn't the only one. The rush of color on Skylar's face told him that her blush probably rivaled his own. Hew was bent over, laughing so hard that he could barely breathe. Skylar gave a nervous chuckle before gently taking her daughter's chin in her hand, "No, _T'ika_. Fives and I are just friends."

_And nothing more,_ Fives thought sadly.

Teanna pouted. "But I _want_ you to be," she said, looking up at Fives. And he had _no_ idea how to respond. He was still tongue-tied in embarrassment.

That was when Hew _finally_ decided to stop guffawing. "Teanna. Listen to your mama," he kneeled to her level and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You can't talk like that, okay?"

"Why?"

"Because, if anyone else but one of your uncles hears about this, both your _buir_ and Fives will be in big trouble."

The little girl cocked her head, "Why?"

Skylar snorted and rolled her eyes as Hew bit back a chuckle, "That's just the way it is. And there's nothing to be done about it." He raised his eyebrows at the little girl.

"So I have to keep it a secret?" Hew nodded, kissing the solitary white mark in the middle of her forehead before he stood up.

He gave both Skylar and Fives an amused look before looking back down at the little Togruta, "Make sure you tell your Uncle Devrin and Uncle Doz, though. Okay, Tea?"

"_Di'kut_," Sky hissed explosively as Fives groaned.

_We'll never hear the end of this!_ He leveled a hostile and threatening glare at the older clone, "Remind me to shoot you later."

Hew just laughed as he took his niece by the hand and casually walked off with her by his side. _They do say that it's the quiet ones that you've got to watch out for. Still, I should have seen that coming._

For a moment, both the ARC and the Sergeant refused to meet each other's eyes. When they did, Fives found himself unable to speak. _I had _no _idea that Tea thought of me like that._

"Fives, I'm sorry-"

"I swear I didn't tell her-"

Both stopped and Skylar just started laughing. "You first," she barely managed to get out.

"Sky, I _swear_ that I didn't tell her _anything_ that would make her talk like that."

She sobered quickly, "I know, _F'ika_. And I'm sorry Tea embarrassed you like that. I'll talk with her about it, okay?" What Fives _really_ wanted was for her to tell him that... _Don't even go there, Fives. You _know_ that it's not going to happen._

* * *

><p><em>kov'nyn = headbutt<em>

_ad'ika = little one_

_ner = my_

_ori'vod = big sister_

_buir = mama_

_di'kut = moron_

_Please R&R._


	27. Awkward

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to laloga and Depthcharge2030 for reviewing!_

* * *

><p>For the tenth time that hour, Skylar found herself redirecting her gaze from the ARC trooper at her side. <em>Whoever invented <em>buy'cese_ was a genius._ Her helmet, back to it's original paint scheme, was firmly on her head. She and Fives were back at Arca Barracks having just finished introducing Thirteen to Jesse and the rest of the trainees and getting the nervous trooper settled. Cordav had taken Jesse aside and had asked him to keep a close eye on Thirteen, but she hadn't given him any details as to why.

Now, she and Fives were heading to Zey's office for a quick debriefing. After that, then they'd finally be able to head to Deena's apartment where Beta Squad and Teanna were.

Cordav felt her face heating again as she thought of what her daughter had asked back aboard the Star Destroyer. It had caught her off guard and had embarrassed the _osik_ out of her. It had also stung. Innocent little Tea's question had struck home. _I've gotta get my mind off of this. Rex is already on to me. I don't need Zey on my tail too._

"_Su cuy'gar_, _S'ika_," an older man's voice greeted, pulling her from her thoughts.

"_Cuy_, Kal. I didn't expect to see you here," she responded as she gave him a quick hug. When her _buir_ had died, it had been Kal who had urged Jango to let her finish training her father's men. Cordav loved him like an uncle.

"Some of my boys just made it back. Just checking on them," Skirata said, eying Fives. "Who's this? Not one of your brothers, that's for sure."

"Kal, this is Fives. He's one of the men that Bric and El-Les trained. _F'ika_, this is Kal. Sergeant Skirata." Skirata's blue eyes focused on her suspiciously as she said the ARC's nickname. But only for just a moment.

He turned to Fives, who had offered his hand. The older man took the clone's arm by the elbow in a traditional Mando greeting which took the younger man off guard for just a second, "Glad to meet you, son."

"Pleasure's mine, sir."

There was the muted sound of someone clearing his throat and Cordav became aware of Captain Maze's presence. The old iceberg on legs was narrowing his eyes at her from the doorway of Zey's office. She cared for him just like she did for the rest of the boys, but he was such a stick in the mud that he constantly got on her nerves. Just as frequently as she got on his.

Kal chuckled, "Best not keep the General waiting." He placed his sand-gold helmet on his head, "Keep your head down, _S'ika_. Leave the reckless stuff to me and Walon, okay?"

"Yes sir. Tell your boys I said 'hello.'"

He nodded before striding off.

Fives, whose helmet was clipped to his belt, gave her a questioning glance as she removed her own bucket. She mouthed 'later,' before saluting casually to Maze, "Good to see you again, sir."

The Alpha ARC's eyes widened. He hadn't been expecting her to be cordial, apparently. He folded his arms across his armored chest, "Where are your squads, Sergeant?"

"Jinx and his boys are in their bunks getting some much needed rest. And Beta's getting Gabe settled in at Juntira's place. Zey doesn't need all ten of us for a simple debriefing."

"General Zey to you, Cordav," he said warningly and Skylar resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Yes sir."

An hour later and she and Fives were on one of the Special Forces' speeder bikes, heading toward Deena's apartment. This time, she was driving and he was riding on the passenger seat behind her. Some _di'kut_ in a taxi cut in front of them and she jerked the bike hard to the left. Fives' arm went around her waist out of reflex. For the third time that day, she felt her face heat.

Once they were steady, he jerked his arm back as if he'd just realized what he'd done. "Sorry, Sky," he apologized over the link. That's all he seemed to be doing lately.

She actually found herself laughing, "It's okay, _F'ika_. I don't mind." _Shut up, shut up, shut up! K'uur, k'uur, k'uur!_

Absolute silence. _Open mouth, insert foot._ "You don't?" He seemed just a little hopeful.

She sighed and mentally reminded herself to not get distracted and to focus on her piloting. "Fives. We've been over this already. _Gedet'ye_." He knew enough _Mando'a_ to know that the word meant 'please.' Via the 360 degree view in her helmet, she saw him shift uncomfortably.

"Sky-"

"Here we are," she interrupted, landing the bike on the landing platform for Deena's apartment's floor. He got off and they both removed their helmets. He was watching her face sadly and she turned sharply on her heel. Osik_, F'ika. Why do you have to be so handsome?_ He opened the door for her and let her enter in front of him like he always did.

Not a word was exchanged between them as she lead the way to her sister-in-law's apartment. And she hated how... awkward things were getting between them. Fives' pace quickened and he placed a hand on her shoulder as he came up beside her. She paused, then met his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sky. If you want me to... just be friends, I can handle it." _I want to kiss him right now._ Handsome and sweet. _Wonderful. I meet the perfect guy and we can't be together._

She leaned up and kissed his cheek, "Thanks, _F'ika_. You're the best."

"Uh-huh," he responded, completely dumbfounded. And she was laughing again.

That was when Tea came tearing out of her aunt's apartment, "_Buir_! Fives!" Cordav crouched and gasped for breath as her daughter ran into her full-force. _She's gonna be a _jate_ fighter when she's older._ "What took you so long?"

"We were making sure that Thirteen was okay, squirt." Seemingly recovered the the awkward moment, Fives laughed as Tea scowled at him. "_And_ our boss had some questions about our mission."

"Why?"

Fives gave Skylar another one of his irritated looks.

And she found herself laughing once again, "It's just a phase, Fives. I was like that when I was her age." _Something about him... I haven't felt this at ease in a _long_ time._

"Yeah, and _Buir_ told us that she never shut up," Top said, sticking his head out the door. "You guys coming in or what? Deena's got dinner on the table."

Teanna grabbed Fives' hand, "You've gotta hurry! C'mon, come see Briika. She's really cute!"

There was the sound of a baby wailing as Top held the door open for them. Skylar met Deena's look, nodded, and went upstairs to 'rescue' her newborn niece. She turned, and nearly jumped out of her skin. Fives was in the doorway, watching the baby in her arms.

"Is this Gabe's little girl?"

She nodded, "You want to hold Briika for a minute? I think she needs her diaper changed."

He backed up, his eyes going wide and she chuckled. "I'll change her, _F'ika_. I just need you to hold her while I get her diaper stuff out."

She showed him how to hold Briika, smiling at how uneasy he was. But he wasn't backing down. _You're _mandokarla_ alright, Fives._

* * *

><p><em>buy'cese = helmets<em>

_buir = papa/mama  
><em>

_osik =crap_

_Su cuy'gar = So you're still alive (traditional Mando greeting)_

_Cuy = So you're still alive (shortened version)_

_di'kut = idiot_

_k'uur = shut up_

_gedet'ye = please_

_Mando'a = Mandalorian language_

_jate = good_

_mandokarla = good enough to be Mando  
><em>

_Please R&R._


	28. Uj'alayi

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to laloga and ComradeGoonie for reviewing!  
><em>

* * *

><p>Fives meant what he'd told Skylar. If she just wanted to be friends, he really was okay with it. At least, he'd have to be. <em>As long as I get to be around her... I still can't believe she kissed my cheek.<em>

But, he couldn't afford to dwell on that. Briika squirmed a little in his arms and he turned his attention back to the baby. He couldn't believe how small she was. He'd seen babies in their glass tanks on Kamino, but he'd never been this close to one before. It was hard to believe that any of them had ever been that small. And Fives couldn't help but see how much Briika looked like Gabe. _How much she looks like me._

Cordav took the baby from him and expertly changed the little one before cradling the kid against her shoulder.

"How did you learn to handle a baby, Sky?"

"I helped Deena out the first night. After waking up every two hours to feed and change diapers, you pick it up pretty fast."

There was a soft knock and Gabe steered his chair through the door into the nursery. _It's still hard to believe that he'll never walk again._ Fives remembered that Gabe had been upset about his condition. But, as soon as the older clone laid eyes on his baby, the ARC couldn't see any of that on his brother's face.

"D'you mind letting me hold my kid, sis?" Gabe asked, smiling as the baby cooed at the sound of his voice.

Cordav handed her niece to her brother, "Well, she knows who her daddy is, that's for sure."

"She looks like you, Gabe." Fives spoke up.

"She should," the former sergeant said with a hint of amusement on his face. "Briika looks like her mama too. Her eyes are the same color."

Said woman stuck her head through the door, brilliant ice blue eyes smiling at them, "Dinner's getting cold." Fives couldn't help but openly stare. He hadn't noticed before, but Gabe's wife clearly was not human. Or, at most, only half. She looked human enough, but her skin was gold-toned. Her hair was two-toned, golden blonde and deep red. And when she smiled at him, he couldn't help but notice that her teeth were pointed.

"You must be Fives," she said softly. "Sky forgot to tell you about me being half Firrerreo, huh?"

"Firrerreo? I didn't even know that there were any on Coruscant-" He stopped when she winced.

"Long story," she said, still speaking softly. Gabe reached up with a free hand to grasp hers comfortingly. She smiled at him and Fives couldn't help but feel a little envious at the display.

Doz stuck his head through the door, "Are you guys coming or what? I'm starving and we're not going to wait for you if you guys decide to have a pow-wow."

Deena giggled melodiously before steering her husband's chair out of the room. Doz grinned evilly at Fives and Skylar, but the woman's frosty glare was enough to make him back up as the two of them passed the jokester.

Sky turned back to look at him, "Waiting on you, Doz."

Fives couldn't help but smirk as he followed her to the dining room.

A few minutes later and all of them were seated at the large table, Gabe at the head with Deena, who was holding the baby while she ate, to his right. Teanna was seated between Fives and Skylar and all of them were laughing as Sky recounted one of the shenanigans that she and another of her squads, Aran, had gotten in too. The woman was very animated as she described the rigged dets exploding all over the training ground like fireworks. She didn't mention Fett's reaction to that, though.

Fives couldn't think of any time that he'd ever felt this relaxed. Not even back on Kamino with the rest of Domino Squad. He sobered, remembering his lost brothers which now also included Hardcase. Skylar gave him the same comforting look that she'd given when they'd been traveling to Zygerria.

He smiled slightly at her, looking away quickly as Doz pushed a bowl of something steaming hot towards him, "Fives, you need to try this."

"What is it?"

"Can't tell you, you've got to try it first," Hew spoke up and Fives eyed him warily. He put some of the food on his plate, but didn't take a bite until he saw Top and Skylar eating... whatever it was. As soon as he took a bite, he instantly regretted it.

It was so hot, so _spicy_, that he was sure that it burned his mouth. He coughed and immediately downed his juice.

All of them were laughing, Sky especially. She was laughing so hard that Fives could have sworn that she was beginning to turn blue. Tea was giggling so hard that she would have fallen out of her chair if Fives hadn't caught her.

"What _was_ that?"

Hew, who'd caught his breath first, smirked at him, "Good old Mando cooking. _Tingilaar_."

Skylar cut a piece of cake and placed it on his plate, still laughing so hard that she almost made him wear it. Fives enjoyed the sound of her laughter, but this was _not_ funny.

He looked at the dark cake before glaring up at her, "There is no _way_ I'm touching _that_."

"It's not spicy, Fives," Deena spoke up soothingly. "_Uj'alayi_ is very sweet. Counteracts the _hetikles_, spices, in most Mando food."

"Spices?"

"Not the illegal stuff. The _good_ stuff," Doz said, still chuckling even though everyone else had already calmed down. Fives gave him a glare that made it clear that the jokester had better learn to sleep with his eyes open. And _soon_. Doz only smirked back.

Fives picked up a tiny bite with his fork, eying it carefully before he popped it in his mouth. It was sticky and _very_ sweet. Sweeter than he'd thought it could be. Ignoring the chuckles from the other clones, the women, and little Tea, he dug in, finishing it in seconds.

"Do you forgive us now, _F'ika_?"

He nodded, mouth still full of cake as he reached for another slice.

* * *

><p>Tea had never seen anything funnier than Fives' face when he ate that spicy food. She'd already tried some while Aunt Deena had been cooking earlier, so she knew better than to touch it. It had been very hard for her not to warn Fives about the food, but she was glad that she hadn't.<p>

"_Buir_?"

"Yeah, _T'ika_?"

"Why can't we tell anyone about Briika?" Her dark-striped lekku, two different shades of deep blue-gray, twitched slightly.

It got _very_ quiet. The only sound was the baby cooing. Uncle Gabe cleared his throat, "Because there are some bad people in the government, Teanna. If they hear about your cousin, they'll take her from us and won't let us see her or your Aunt Deena again." He looked pointedly at the little Togruta, "And you can't talk about those people either. It's not safe."

"But why? Why do people have to be so mean? Why do they have to hurt other people like that?"

Tea's mother stroked her montrals, "Those kind of people hurt others because they only care about themselves."

"They're selfish?"

"Very," Fives spoke up after swallowing another bite of sweet cake. "I believe your mother called them _hut'uune_." He arched his brows at her _buir_ and the woman nodded.

"What does that mean?"

"It means that they're cowards," _Buir_ explained. "A coward isn't just someone who's too afraid to do the right thing. A coward is someone who puts other people last. Like the Zygerrians do."

"I'm never going to be like that. I don't want to be like them. They're evil." _I hate those cat-people. They took Mommy and Daddy away._

_Buir_ kissed Tea's forehead and stroked her pale cream face, tracing the little girl's diamond shaped white facial mark with her finger, "You're already better than them, _ad'ika_. You'll be a great warrior when you're all grown up. Probably better than me."

"I can't be. _You're_ the best, Mama."

* * *

><p><em>Please R&amp;R.<em>


	29. Kot

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to laloga for reviewing!_

_Two more chapters and we'll get back to the action!  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>Two days later...<strong>

Thirteen stood with the rest of Sergeant Cordav's trainees, feeling completely naked in his brand-new commando issue black bodysuit.

"Sarge, what about our armor?" The clone trooper named Jesse asked. It had been Jesse who had taken Thirteen under his wing when Sarge had brought him to the barracks. The man joked around a lot more than he was used to. Although, nowhere near as bad as Doz and Devrin.

She chuckled, "'Cause you boys need to be able to fight if you're caught in nothing but your underwear." That earned the sergeant a few embarrassed looks from the men. Fives, the ARC trooper who was always glued to her side, was laughing softly.

"But we already know how to fight, Sarge." This time it was Cooper who spoke up.

"But you don't know how to fight dirty. Following rules of conduct won't get you out of tough situations like that." She turned amused brown eyes to the ARC. "And since you find this so funny... You first, Fives."

Thirteen actually smirked at the wide-eyed look that the younger clone gave the woman. _I wonder why he looks so nervous? She's smaller than us. Shouldn't be too hard to beat her._

All seventeen gasped almost in unison ten minutes later as the Sergeant easily flipped Fives and he landed flat on his back. After giving him a hand up, Sarge looked over at them, "How about you show us what you can do, Jess?"

Jesse gulped, but ran at Cordav. She dodged him easily and caught his arm before she delivered what would have been a crippling blow to his stomach. The intensive training that the clones had undergone on Kamino had ensured that they were tougher than the average human man.

But Thirteen had _never_ seen a woman hit that hard. Apparently, neither had Jesse. The other trooper pulled himself out of Sergeant Cordav's reach, watching her warily with wide eyes. And every single one them were watching their sergeant with new respect.

"Rule one. Never let your guard down. No matter how harmless your opponent looks."

She made to kick at Jesse's head and he dodged her, keeping himself well out of her reach. "Number two. Don't dance around," she grunted out as she launched herself at Jesse and tackled him. Within seconds, she had him a chokerhold, letting go quickly and pulling him to his feet. "Good try, Jess."

Pretty much the entire training session was her humiliating them. _I know that she's not doing it for that reason. She's just trying to make sure that we're going to survive. Odds are that's not going to happen with most of us, but I can't blame her for trying. She really does care about us._

When he'd first met her, her concern for him had completely caught him off guard. But once Gabe had explained some of her history, he could understand. _She's just like a clone. Almost._

She dismissed them but jerked her head at Thirteen. _Why would she want to talk with me?_

"Fives, why don't you go see where Beta disappeared to? Have them come back here, okay?"

"Sure, Sky." _He's always calling her that. I wonder why? Probably 'cause she of how much she hates having us defer to her._ He still couldn't bring himself to stop calling her 'Sarge' no matter how many times the woman had insisted that he call her by her name.

Cordav watched the ARC trooper walk out then turned her attention back to Thirteen, "How are you doing, _Teen'ika_?" _This again._ This_ is why she wanted to talk to me._

"I'm okay, Sarge."

"You sure? You know that you can talk to me about anything, right?"

Thirteen sighed, "Yeah, I know. I'm just not used to talking with anyone but my brothers..."

That's when it hit him. Hard. He squeezed his eyes shut, fists clenched. If he moved, he'd lose it.

"_Udesii_, _vod'ika_," she soothed. "Thirteen, please look at me."

"Sorry, Sarge."

Cordav smiled at him, "It's okay. _Udesii_, it's okay." She sat down on one of the crates and motioned for him to join her, "When I woke up on Kamino, the day you boys were shipped out to Geonosis, I thought that my world was over. I sat up all day and all that night, wondering how many of my brothers, and the rest of you boys, wouldn't make it back. And when I found out the KIA count for that day..." she shook her head, tearing up herself.

"I'm not trying to distract you and I'm not trying to make this all about me. I just want you to know that you're never alone. Especially with this. D'you know how we Mandos remember our dead?"

Thirteen shook his head, silent.

"We have a sort of daily remembrance. _Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum_. Which is followed by the names of everyone we want to remember. It means 'I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal.' We believe that as long as we remember the people that matter to us, they'll never really leave us." She squeezed his shoulder gently, "Including our brothers."

That did make him feel better, "Thanks, Sarge."

"You're very welcome."

He cleared his throat, "So, why did you ask Fives to get Beta?"

"Well, you're officially a commando now, Thirteen," she said, a huge grin on her face. "You've even got the number to prove it."

"Number?"

"Mmhmm. You're a regular RC now, _Teen'ika_. Hew's agreed to take you as his weapons expert." Since Gabe had been invalided out, Hew had become Beta's sergeant.

"Seriously? But I've only had a few days of training and-"

"You're good enough for us, Thirteen," said clone sergeant spoke up from behind them, making the former trooper jump. Sarge just chuckled. _She must have heard Beta come up. I don't know how she did._ "Since we're a man short anyway," Hew finished, clapping a hand on Thirteen's shoulder.

"On one condition, though," Doz said. "We figure out a nickname for you. Thirteen's kind of a mouthful."

Top smacked the back of the jokester's head. Not too hard, but hard enough to warn him.

Even Sarge was glaring at him, "Doz, can't you just be a _little_ bit sensitive, you _di'kut_?"

Thirteen cleared his throat, he didn't like seeing them argue, "It's okay. I understand what he's saying, Sarge."

Doz nodded, as if that settled the matter, "Okay, then. Any ideas?" He opened his mouth to say something else, but Hew slapped a hand over his face.

"Now's not the time for one of your crazy ideas," the clone sergeant said as he released his brother.

"Kot."

All of them looked at Sarge, especially Fives, "Wasn't that the name you had me use on Zygerria, Sky?"

She nodded, "It means 'strength.' I think that fits perfectly."

Thirteen was already shaking his head, "Sarge, we already know that I'm not-"

His sergeant met his eyes, her expression stern, "You _did not_ pull that trigger. That tells me that you are _dralshy'a_, stronger, much stronger, than you think." She smiled encouragingly at him, "Never tell yourself anything different. Okay, _vod'ika_?"

"Okay, Skylar."

* * *

><p><em>Please R&amp;R.<em>


	30. Resol'nare

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to laloga and Janizary for reviewing!_

* * *

><p><strong>Two weeks later...<strong>

Cordav, Fives, and Jesse's new squad, Teroch, had just come back from a successful Asset Denial earlier, around noon, and now Skylar was spending some quality time with her daughter. Currently, she was teaching Teanna about their culture in her quarters at Arca Barracks.

"Try again, _T'ika_."

Her little girl closed her eyes in concentration, "_Ba'jur bal beskar'gam_... _Ara'nov_... _Ara'nov_..." The woman couldn't resist chuckling when Teanna opened one eye to look at her mother pleadingly.

"_Aliit_," she responded patiently.

"_Ara'nov, aliit, Mando'a_... _Mando'a bal_... _Mando'a bal Mand'alor_." The little Togruta rubbed her temples, focusing hard. It was times like this that Skylar was glad that she'd decided to become Tea's mother. She loved every precious moment with her little girl. "_An vencuyan mhi_."

Her daughter's face lit up, her lekku twitching and her dark hazel eyes wide with excitement, "I did it, Mama! I did it!"

"Did what, squirt?" Fives asked from the doorway of Cordav's quarters.

Teanna scowled at him, earning a chuckle from both grown-ups. But she didn't even bother trying to correct the clone. Tea had learned quick that doing so was a lost cause.

Her scowl quickly disappeared, replaced by a look of utter triumph, "I know the _Resol'nare_, Fives!"

Fives turned his attention from the child to Cordav, "And what is that exactly?"

"The six requirements to being Mando." She'd almost been unable to answer. Just being around him was intoxicating for her. Every time she saw him now, she couldn't stop thinking about how handsome he was and what a gentleman he was. _I even dreamed about him kissing me last night. Not that I'm going to tell him about that._

"Only six? How does that work?" She couldn't help but notice how gentle his brown eyes were as they met hers.

Cordav just smiled as she ran her fingers lightly over one of her daughter's dark montrals. She'd just found out before they'd left for the mission that Tea was _very_ ticklish there. The little girl jerked away, giggling. "Why don't you tell Fives, _T'ika_?" Gabe and Deena had been helping Teanna learn this while Skylar was away. _It's not their job. I should be the one doing it._ Cordav had been paid plenty of credits from being one of the _Cuy'val Dar_. She had inherited more than enough creds when her _buir_ had died. _I could quit now and teach my little girl myself. But, if I do, how am I going to be able to help my brothers? They need me too_. So far, she seemed to be balancing both parts of her life. _But I'll be glad when this war's over. When my brothers are free and we don't have to fight anymore._ And when she and Fives could finally be together. _If he doesn't get tired of me avoiding the issue, that is._

Fives didn't even seem aware of her inner turmoil. _It's better that way, though. I already know that he doesn't like seeing me suffer._ On the way back to Corrie, she'd learned that she'd lost one more brother. Cabur. His name had meant 'protector.'

It had been Fives who had followed her to her quarters on their ship and held her while she'd cried. He'd even recited her daily memorial with her, not even batting an eye when she'd added the names of the brothers that he'd lost. And she hadn't even thanked him for being there for her. She was afraid that if she even tried, she'd lose it again. _All of these sleepless nights are starting to get to me._

"There's only six 'cause all _Mando_... _Mando'ade_ work together. It's like a big family. They all look out for each other," Tea said, repeating what she'd been told. She squinted her eyes, then shook her head, lekku swinging, "I mean _we_ all look out for each other. Right, Mama?"

Skylar nodded, trying very hard to keep her eyes on her daughter. Fives had moved to sit in the solitary chair only four feet in front of her. _Why the _manda_ does this have to be so hard?_

"That's for sure," Fives' voice sounded amused. He was clearly remembering how Cordav had tried to do most of the fighting for her fledgling squad. It had gotten bad enough that Jesse had actually snapped at her. She remembered laughing at the tattooed clone's horror-stricken face as he'd realized what he'd done. She'd reassured him, not only once, but twice, that he was doing _exactly_ what she wanted him to do. That she wanted him to tell her like it was. She had absolutely nothing against her men correcting her, especially if she was screwing things up for them.

Fives quirked an eyebrow at Teanna, "What did that bunch of words mean, then?"

Tea rolled her eyes and gave an exasperated sigh as she shook her head slowly. The ARC met Skylar's eyes, his own twinkling with amusement. _I hadn't realized how much she's picking up from me. I'd better be extremely careful with what I say and do around her._ "It's not a 'bunch of words,' Fives. It's a poem."

He cleared his throat, playing along, "Excuse me. I meant, what did that poem mean?" _He's getting more relaxed._ Before they'd left for the mission on the Seppie planet, Fives had been easily embarrassed about talking with her little girl in the way that her brothers already did. Now it seemed as if it were second nature to him. _Tea's right. He would definitely be _jatne'buir_ for her._ Cordav's cheeks colored as she thought that, but Fives was watching her daughter's face, so he didn't notice. _Thankfully. If I'm struggling with this, I know he is too. I don't need to give him something else to agonize over like I know that _I'll_ agonize over this._

Teanna smiled enthusiastically. She knew the Basic version by heart, since she memorized things easily. It was just the _Mando'a_ that she was struggling with. _Which is understandable given that she didn't grow up hearing it from day one like I did._ "It means 'Education and armor, self-defense, our tribe, our language and our leader, all help us survive.' I've got to wear armor and speak _Mando'a_. Mama's gonna teach me to fight-"

"For what, _T'ika_? What is fighting for?" Skylar interrupted. She just wanted to make sure that her daughter understood why they learned to fight. _So that we don't have to. Funny how it usually doesn't work that way._

"Self-defense."

"That's right, _ad'ika_. And nothing else, right?"

The little Togruta nodded her head, "Right. And when I have my own family, I've got to teach them what you teach me."

"And what else?"

Tea looked up at the ceiling, thinking hard. Her face lit up as she remembered the last part, "Looking out for the rest of the clan, which is our family. And answering when the _Mand'alor_ calls." The skin at the corners of her hazel eyes tightened and her brow furrowed in confusion, "But you said that we don't have a _Mand'alor_ now, Mama. Who are we supposed to answer?"

Cordav couldn't help the swelling of pride she felt for her daughter. _I swear, she's smarter than I was at that age._ "When we don't have a _Mand'alor_, we answer to any _alor_. Any clan chieftain."

"And who are they?"

"They lead each individual clan. And they'll tell you who they are, _ad'ika_. Mandos don't lie to each other, remember?"

Tea nodded her head, but before either she or Fives could speak, Skylar's wrist comlink beeped. It was Maze, "You need to get up here _now_, Sergeant. General Kenobi's just been murdered."

"Be there as soon as possible, sir." Ever since her daughter had corrected her for yelling at Kenobi and Skywalker, she'd worked on being more courteous to the commanding officers. Even if they were _Jetiise_. Or icebergs on legs like Maze. But that wasn't why she'd been respectful just then. Cordav was so shocked that she was on autopilot. Even though she was used to death, this one caught her completely by surprise. _Kenobi's dead? But I just saw him a few days ago..._ Even though she didn't care for _Jetiise_ in general, she was still a little upset. This was someone she knew. And she owed a lot to him for helping Rex look after her daughter on Kadavo.

Skylar's little girl looked up at her mother, tears brimming in her dark eyes, pale cream face screwed up as if she was trying not to cry. Tea was close to Kenobi. She'd often said that he and Rex were two of her best friends.

Cordav's heart broke at the sight of her daughter's expression. She pulled her little girl into her arms and walked as fast she could out of her quarters toward the main briefing room. Fives right beside her the entire way. _I don't know what I'd do without him._

* * *

><p><em>jatne'buir = the best father<em>

_Mand'alor - Chieftain of chieftains_

_alor = clan chieftain_

_Jetiise = Jedi  
><em>

_Please R&R._


	31. Old Acquaintance

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to DarthZ and laloga for reviewing!_

_This has got to be the longest chapter that I've ever written. But I just couldn't stop... ;)  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>Two days later...<strong>

Tor Squad was back for a brief break from the field, so they and Fives were at Deena and Gabe's apartment. Quirk had a sleeping Teanna in his arms. Sky's little girl had refused to sleep by herself ever since General Kenobi's death. Fives still couldn't believe that the Jedi was gone. He'd worked with the man and he greatly respected him. _I still find it hard to believe that he was killed by a sniper._ The Jedi had avoided potshots before, so why had this one...

It just didn't make sense. Nothing about this did. Of course, he'd felt the same way when Echo had... died. Just worse.

Deena came in with a sleeping Briika and placed the baby in his arms before settling down next to her husband. _Trying to distract me._ It sort of worked. Fives was amazed at how much the baby, his _niece_, had grown in the two weeks since he'd last seen her. He'd voiced his concerns a little earlier, but Gabe had assured him that Briika had not inherited their accelerated aging, that the kid was growing normally.

"So, why did the Chancellor contact Skylar?" Jinx asked from his corner of the main room.

Fives shook his head, "I don't know. Maybe 'cause she's a mercenary?"

Dover shook his head, "Then it would be more sensible to contact Skirata or Vau. Sky's only been on two or three hunts. The two of them have almost a lifetime of experience each."

"Yeah, but everyone knows that Kal's got the Nulls as his private army," Devrin spoke up. "He's most likely to work this out for his own ends. And whatever Walon knows, he'll tell Kal."

"His own ends?" Fives asked, confusion on his face. "I thought Sergeant Skirata was only in the army for the same reason that Sky is. For us."

Quirk nodded his head, "And you'd be right. The only difference is that Kal's not above stiffing the Republic to make sure that we're okay. Not that I ever told you that though."

Fives was beyond caring about strict adherence to the Republic's laws ever since Gabe had almost been rewarded for his service with a death sentence.

"Well, Eval and Hardeen did escape with Cad Bane," Gabe spoke up from the couch, his arm wrapped around Deena.

The other clones exchanged meaningful looks with each other. Fives found himself looking around at all of them, completely confused. "What does Bane have to do with this?"

Devrin looked at him with wide eyes, "You mean that Skylar didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"That she almost killed Bane when she was ten."

Fives scowled at the jokester, "If that was meant to be funny... It wasn't."

"He's not joking," Jinx put in. "It was the second hunt that _buir_ took her on. None of us really know all the details. Sky just told us that she managed to impress him."

"And usually, the best way to impress a _beroya_ is to almost kill them. Depends on the hunter, though. A few just like to hold grudges," Devrin added.

"Good thing for Sky that Bane's not one of those. Otherwise, she'd be fighting him off every time she turned around," Dover finished with a smirk on his face.

"Fighting who off?" Sky's voice asked from right behind Fives. The ARC trooper almost jumped. _Good thing I didn't. I don't want to jostle Briika_. _How the _osik_ does she _do_ that?_

He glared at Dover before he turned to Sky. _That was why he smirked. He saw her behind me._

"Bane," Deena said, entering the conversation for the first time. "Is that why Palpatine called you?"

Skylar nodded as she took her daughter from Quirk and settled down next to Fives. An arm's length away from him. _She let me hold her on the ship, but she won't let me touch her now? Did I go too far again?_ "Since I've worked with Cad once before, Palpatine thinks I'm best suited to track him down." She rolled her eyes, "Of course, he only told me that _after_ he scolded me for shutting off the link."

"Shutting off what link?" Fives asked just a little too loudly. Briika's face squinted and she gurgled softly. But, thankfully, she stayed asleep and the ARC gave a mental sigh of relief.

"Nothing important, _F'ika_. Just a typical _aruetii_ getting frustrated with a Mando."

Fives was about to ask her if she thought of him as an outsider too, but Deena interrupted.

"Wait a second. Devrin said that you almost killed Bane. But you just said that you worked with him. Which one was it?"

Skylar didn't even look at the other woman. She was too busy giving Tor Squad an irritated look. "I never said that I almost killed him. Where did you get that bright idea? If I'd almost killed Cad, that would mean that I'd be long dead by now."

"But isn't that how you impress a bounty hunter?" Quirk asked.

"_One_ of the ways, yes. That would have worked with Jango. But not with Cad. I impressed him when _buir_ and I worked with him on Taris."

Even though this was the second time that she'd said it, Fives couldn't keep the surprise from his face. _She actually _worked_ with Cad Bane?_

"You never told us that story, _S'ika_. So, you can guess why we assumed that," Jinx said, his face eager.

"Because it's not important. Just a chance encounter and total strangers working together to hunt down an old artifact and a serial killer." That had every one of the clones hanging on to her every word.

Deena rolled her eyes, her gold-toned skin taking on a silvery hue. "Men," she mumbled. But she was watching the woman at Fives' side too. "So, what happened?"

Skylar sighed, giving in, "Fine. I'll have to give you the shortened version though. Fives and I have some detective work tonight."

"Where at?" Dover inquired, one eyebrow raised.

"The prison that Cad, Hardeen, and Eval escaped from. Do you want to hear the story or not?"

All of them immediately stilled. And Devrin was completely quiet, which was so unusual that it was almost funny.

Skylar shifted her daughter in her arms and began:

_"_Buir_, what are we doing here? Didn't that Rodian say that Tuimer's mainly been seen in the northern sector? This is the southern sector," nine-year old Skylar said, crossing her arms accusingly. And narrowing her eyes at her father from behind the visor of her small, dark purple helmet._

_Orar chuckled, touching his gloved right hand to his black, orange, yellow, and red helmet in a polite gesture towards the bartender before answering his little girl over the link, "Yes, _ad'ika_. He did say that. And I'm well aware that this is the southern sector. But, if you want to catch a criminal..." he trailed off, waiting for his daughter to finish._

_"Go to a tavern. Drunk men like to talk. Sometimes too much." Orar smiled as Skylar repeated what he had told her only hours before. Word for word. He resisted the urge to pat the top of her _buy'ce_ affectionately. In her full set of purple _beskar'gam_, she passed for a small adult. If he treated her like the child that she was, someone was bound to pick up on that. Which would put his baby girl at risk._

_"_S'ika_, why don't you take a look around? Be careful and-"_

_"Stay where you can see me," she finished, cutting him off. He couldn't help but chuckle again as he thought of her expression behind her visor. If only his wife was alive to see their baby now..._

_"What are you going to do, _Buir_?" Sky asked, placing a hand discreetly on one of her little blaster pistols._

_"I figured I'd talk with some of the patrons, see what they have to say."_

_"I've got your _kama_, _Buir_. But don't you dare get _haryc b'aalyc_ on me, 'kay? You're my ride home."_

_That did it. Orar belly laughed, earning an irritated 'harrumph' from Skylar. The old Mando hadn't realized how much she was taking after her mother. He was just barely beginning to see more and more of Claire in her every day._

_He patted her shoulder before making his rounds through the bar. Some of the _hut'uune_ were already watching both Mandalorians suspiciously. One of the few who wasn't doing so was a young, blue-skinned Duros in a big hat. Orar figured it was the best one to start with._

_As soon as he sat down, the Duros flicked a burnt cig end to the floor and pulled out his blaster, "If you're trying to muscle in on my hunt, think again, old-timer."_

_Apparently, this was an off-worlder. He wouldn't know anything about the serial killer that the two of them were tracking down. Unless this youngster was after the same thug. Orar scrutinized the Duros. He was young, probably early twenties. But, by the way he smarted off to an armored man he knew nothing about, Orar figured that the kid probably had a few bounties already under his belt. That, or he was just plain stupid._

_The blaster aimed at his chest-plate didn't even faze Orar. Even though the Duros might have had some experience, he apparently had no knowledge on how to fight a Mando. The younger hunter's aim wasn't even close to any of the seams on the elder Cordav's amor. In his 360, Orar could see his daughter sneaking up on the other hunter, her red metal flute in her hand._

_"If you're trying to threaten me, son, you're gonna have to try harder," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice as he folded his arms over his chest and reclined slightly in the chair. Seemingly completely at ease, but, in truth, his body was like a coiled spring. One wrong move by the Duros and the younger hunter would be dead before he even knew what hit him. "Name's Orar Cordav, by the way," he offered, unconcerned. He wasn't a well-known hunter like Jango, so it was extremely unlikely that Tuimer would even hear that they were after him._

_The Duros' red eyes widened at the lack of fear in Orar's voice, and he lowered the blaster. Still keeping it at the ready, though. The old Mando couldn't help but think that the kid definitely had the makings of a good _beroya_. Just like his little _S'ika_ did._

_"Cad Bane," the Duros replied. There was something to be said about bounty hunters. The good ones were nothing if not pragmatic. If it was clear that another hunter meant you no harm and wasn't after your quarry, then all hostilities ceded. After all, nothing was personal in this business. "What are you after?" the kid asked, red eyes narrowing again as he tightened his grip on his blaster._

_"Who. Not what. Apparently, we're after two different things then. So, that being said, we can either stay out of each other's way, which is a little tedious in my opinion... Or," Cordav raised his pointer finger, "we can work together and share both bounties. Fifty-fifty. Which will probably still come out to more than what you're gonna get paid for whatever little errand your client's got you on."_

_The Duros brought the blaster back up, this time aiming the business end directly at the center of the older hunter's visor, "And what if I say 'no?'"_

_"Then you'd be dead," nine year old Skylar's voice spoke up from right behind Bane. The blue-skinned hunter whirled out of his chair to find the pointed end of the girl's _bes'bev_ in his face. "Nobody threatens my Papa."_

_At a hand signal from Orar, the child lowered her weapon of choice and backed away from Bane, giving herself room to get out of his reach should he try to attack her. But she needn't have bothered._

_Bane was smirking._

"Well, as you can guess, Cad agreed to the temporary partnership. We found Tuimer and the antique Driver's Crystal. _Buir_ and I never saw the Duros again after that." Skylar looked around at their gaping faces and rolled her brown eyes, "I only threatened Cad a little, _vod'ikase_. I don't know what you're all staring at."

* * *

><p><em>I couldn't resist a little flashback. I figure that Bane's in his thirties in the series, so he's probably just starting out when the Cordavs met him. Hope you like it!<em>

_buir = papa_

_beroya = bounty hunter_

_osik = crap_

_aruetii = outsider, foreigner, not Mandalorian_

_ad'ika = little one_

_buy'ce = helmet_

_beskar'gam = armor (literally 'iron skin')_

_kama = back_

_haryc b'aalyc = drunk (literally 'tired and emotional')_

_hut'uune = cowards_

_bes'bev = traditional Mandalorian iron flute_

_vod'ikase = little siblings_

_Please R&R._


	32. Investigation

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to DarthZ, Depthcharge2030, laloga, and Janizary for reviewing!  
><em>

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><p>As soon as Fives landed the speeder bike on one of the prison's heavily guarded landing platforms, Skylar slid off and made her way straight to a clone with a lieutenant's insignia on his red and white armor. She promptly saluted him properly.<p>

Said Lieutenant paused for a beat before nodding his head respectfully. _It never fails. Every time I'm around these boys I somehow manage to shock them. _The reason was that they just weren't used to other sentients, meaning non-clone and non-Jedi, treating them as equals. Or deferring to them. _Those high-minded fools all talk about peace and equality, but do they bother acting it out? No! The _di'kutla Tsad Droten_ can crash and burn for all I care._

"Sergeant Cordav. ARC Trooper Fives. You're early."

"The sooner we get started the sooner we can get the job done, sir," Cordav said, removing her helmet before he asked her to. She motioned to Fives to do the same.

The Lieutenant also removed his helmet. Standard military haircut, the same one all of the men had had on Kamino. Not a single tattoo on his face, but one nasty scar on his forehead. From the looks of it, it probably had happened during the first battle of Geonosis. He offered his hand and she shook it, "Lieutenant Lyle." An ordinary name. It hurt too much to think of the ordinary life this man should be leading. That all the clones should be leading. "I've been assigned to escort you."

"It'll be a pleasure, sir," Cordav said, replacing her helmet. Both men followed suit and Lyle led them into the prison.

"Sky." There it was again. That little thrill at his voice. It was pure torture, knowing that he cared for her too. Knowing that they weren't free to act on their feelings for each other. _The sooner this war is over with, the better. But will the Republic let the boys out of its grasp even then? _It had better.

"Sky," Fives said again over the link, sounding just a little irritated.

"Hmmm? Sorry, _F'ika_. Just thinking. What were you going to say?"

"I was going to ask what we're even doing here. We already know that Kenobi's murderer and his new buddies are long gone." There was anger in his voice. Skylar hadn't realized just how much the ARC had respected the deceased Jedi. She wanted to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. She would have, if it had been one of her boys escorting them. But Lyle was one of Fox's men. And, by the Lieutenant's appearance, he was a strict follower of the rules. Any such display would immediately arouse his suspicions.

"I know you miss him, Fives. But going after Hardeen for revenge is only going to make things worse. I've been there."

His helmeted head turned sharply at her and she shook her head very slightly, "No, I didn't kill anyone. Kal and Jango stopped me before I went too far."

"What happened?"

"One of my squads were all from the same batch. Which is unusual since the _kaminiise_ tend to mix the men up based on their skills. Well, that squad's sniper, Trick, had a ninety percent record 'cause his eyesight wasn't perfect. We managed to hide that fact for a long while, but the long-necks found out in the end. The aiwha-bait... _terminated_ all four of them. Trick, Davy, Nero, and Red. When I found out the next day, I was beyond furious. I beat the Kaminoan tech, the one who'd ordered their deaths, nearly to a pulp. Jango had to bodily pull me away to keep me from killing that... _thing_. Kal talked me out of garrotting the monster in it's sleep." Even though Ordo himself had almost topped Orun Wa as a youngster. _That's not for me to tell him though. That's Ordo's story, not mine._

"You really hate Kaminoans, don't you?"

"Not all of them. A few of the blue-eyed ones aren't that bad." Fives cocked his head just a little, and she explained, "The _kaminiise_ have a caste system based on eye color. The yellow are the ruling class and the top scientists. The gray are scientists as well, just not in positions of power like the yellow. And the blue are menial workers. A few of those ones tend to be nicer." She'd hold off telling him about the blue-eyed female that Kal had found hiding on the training grounds until later. The one whose green-eyed child had been killed by the ruling class just because it didn't belong to any caste. _Now's not the time for a discussion. We've got work to do._

"Lieutenant?"

Lyle didn't turn back to her, but she knew that he was watching her via his HUD, "Yes, Sergeant?"

"Do you know if Eval, Hardeen, and Bane had any contact with the other prisoners? Were they kept in confinement or did they have access to others?"

"They weren't kept in confinement, but they avoided contact with others. Except for the riot that Hardeen and Fett started." _Fett? _Bob'ika_'s here too?_ Cordav knew that Jango's son was in prison, but she hadn't known that he was in this particular one. She remembered the boy well. Poor thing wasn't even thirteen yet and he'd already lost his father and was thrown away by people who didn't even bother reaching out to him. Boba didn't deserve this sentence. Yes, he'd tried to kill Windu and killed a trooper instead. Even destroyed an entire cruiser. But it was Sing who'd been pulling the strings. Windu himself made things even worse by not even acting like he was sorry for tearing the small family apart. Yes, Jango shouldn't have even been on Geonosis. The _Mand'alor_ should have disappeared with his son. However, although Windu had only been protecting himself, he still showed absolutely no remorse. That was why Skylar was so ice-cold to the majority of Jedi. Jusik and Tur-Mukan were the only ones she wouldn't treat warily. Those two were the only _Jetiise_ that she knew of who actually _identified_ with the men they were serving with. Of course, it helped their case that Kal spoke so highly of them. Skywalker and Tano... She was still undecided about those two. At the time of Kenobi's death, she had the older Jedi on the same level as the former Padawan and his apprentice. Didn't mean that she didn't feel bad for yelling at him though.

"What was the argument about?"

This time, Lyle did stop. He turned towards her, "And how is that relevant to your investigation, Sergeant?"

"You'd be surprised, sir. Sometimes, the most irrelevant piece of data turns out to be the turning point of an entire investigation."

He nodded slowly, lightly tapping the fingers of his right hand against his thigh plate, "One of the guards who was close to the situation said that the Fett kid claimed that Hardeen owed him something."

Cordav's eyes widened behind her helmet, "There's no way that's possible. Boba was first reported following Sing around about six months after Geonosis. And Hardeen and Sing operate in completely different bounty hunting circles. They couldn't have met before Boba started the riot. Which means that someone put Boba up to it... Most likely Bane. That Duros and Sing have worked together before." The pieces were starting to fit together, little by little. "Is it possible that I could question Boba about his possible affiliation with Bane, Lieutenant?"

"Normally, I'd say yes. But Fett's in confinement. Along with Bossk. No visitors, unless you can get a Jedi to authorize it."

Skylar gave an exasperated sigh, "We don't have that kind of time." She crossed her arms and tapped her right foot as she thought. "Are there any guards still alive who came into contact with the escapees on their way out?"

Lyle stopped tapping his thigh plate and his hand clenched into a fist,"No, but all the bodies were found in the morgue. They escaped that way."

Fives had been completely silent as she spoke with the clone officer, not speaking up until then. "You're absolutely certain that the escapees kept away from the other inmates? Is there even the _slightest_ possibility that one of the other prisoners might have overheard them talking amongst themselves?" _He figured out why we're here then._ It was better to beat your quarry to where he was headed than have to follow him on some wild bantha chase. Of course, in order to do that, one needed _living_ witnesses.

The older clone shook his head, "Nothing. We've already questioned all the inmates that had the same schedules as them. Absolutely nothing. Did you want to check the morgue for any more clues, Sergeant?"

She was about to shake her head, but suddenly thought better of it. "Just a quick check, if that's okay?"

Cordav examined the lock of the door to the morgue as Fives watched over her shoulder. Both of them were completely baffled. The lock hadn't been tampered with. But, according to the log on the computer, the code hadn't been punched in either.

"Why would a locked door open for no reason?"

"That's the question, _F'ika_. I'm thinking that there's more to this Hardeen than meets the eye."

"Why do you think that?"

"Well, unlike Bane and Eval, there's not much known about him. It's quite possible..." She turned on her voice projection unit so that Lyle could hear her, "Is it possible that Rako Hardeen is Force sensitive?"

The ARC trooper right behind her stiffened, but Lyle was already shaking his head, "No. If Hardeen had Jedi abilities, he would have used them."

"Unless he's trying to hide them," Skylar said to Fives over the private link. "I don't like this. Something just doesn't feel right."

"The proverbial bad feeling?" Fives asked with a hint of amusement.

"No. More like..." She shook her head. "I don't know. I just have this gut feeling that the answer to this is obvious."

"Where are we going to now?" He asked as Lyle led them out.

"The underworld. I've got a contact that's going to meet us in one of the more sleazier taverns." She smiled and knew that he could hear the teasing tone in her voice, "But first... more blue and brown dye."

She laughed harder as he groaned.

"At least I get to wear the _beskar'gam_ again." Skylar smiled widely at that. _Won't be long and you'll be a proper Mando, Fives._ She bit her lip before she could say something about how handsome she thought he looked in the subdued green armor.

* * *

><p><em>di'kutla = crappy<em>

_Tsad Droten = Republic_

_kaminiise = Kaminoans_

_Mand'alor = Chieftain of chieftains_

_beskar'gam = traditional Mandalorian armor_

_Please R&R._


	33. Old Friend

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to Janizary and laloga for reviewing!  
><em>

* * *

><p>Fives didn't mention just how much he hated that iris dye. It had stung like crazy when Skylar applied it. The only good thing about that was how close she'd been to him then. She even kissed his temple when he winced. <em>It's like she can't make up her mind. She <em>does_ want to be with me, but she's so afraid that something's going to happen to me because of how much she cares about me._ At least he _knew_ that she cared for him. That was enough. _For now._

He walked out of the 'fresher after Sky, laughing as a wide awake Tea tackled the woman. The ARC knew that Cordav had fallen to the living room floor on purpose and he watched with barely concealed amusement as she wrestled playfully with her daughter. It wasn't long before Skylar resorted to tickling the little girl.

"Help! Help!" Teanna barely managed to cry out between giggles.

Devrin, who was sitting on the sofa, got an evil look in his eye. He and Jinx exchanged a quick glance, nodding at each other. Fives mouth dropped when both men tackled their sister and began mercilessly tickling her, freeing the little Togruta in the process.

"Mercy!" Skylar called out, laughing so hard that she was close to tears. Fives was about to go break it up, but Gabe's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Leave it, Fives. It's about time she got what was coming to her," the paralyzed man said, eyes twinkling. "_K'atini_, Skylar!" he said before he started laughing.

"When I... get... free... You're going... to get it Gabe!" Sky threatened between giggles. _Come to think of it, I've never heard her giggle before._ It was an oddly girlish sound for the warrior woman to make, but Fives found that he liked it.

"Bring it on, sis," Gabe countered.

Tea, who was no longer laughing at the sight of her mother being completely humiliated by her uncles, came to Fives. He crouched to her level and hugged her tightly, "You okay, Squirt?"

"I miss Obi-Wan. And Mommy and Daddy. Why do people have to die, Fives?" Tea asked quietly, her eyes watering.

The ARC trooper picked her up and she buried her face in his shoulder. "I wish I knew, Teanna. I miss my brothers too."

"Want me to take her, _F'ika_?" He hadn't even realized that Skylar had escaped her brothers' grasp until she was standing right in front of him.

Tea's grip on him tightened and he shook his head, "I've got her, Sky."

When she settled on the sofa and motioned for him to sit beside her he realized that they were the only three in the room. Fives had a nagging suspicion that Sky's brothers had planned that. They weren't stupid. They could clearly see the attraction between the ARC and their sister. _I just wish that they'd quit trying to set us up. This is hard enough without their meddling._

Sky pulled her legs up and crossed them before she reached for her daughter again. This time, Tea went to her.

"_F'ika_," Skylar said softly, her brown eyes meeting his now blue ones.

"Yes?" Fives answered tentatively. She'd never spoken to him like that before.

"I want to thank you. For being here for both of us," she continued, stroking her daughter's lekku. "You have no idea how much... how much you've helped me." Her face heated up and she looked down. "Especially with everything going on." There was just a hint of longing in her voice. That was enough for Fives to know that she was telling him that even though they couldn't be together, she still cared for him. More than he'd thought.

Tea pulled away and looked between Fives and her mother, her lekku swinging as she kept it up.

Fives chuckled softly, "What are you looking at, Squirt?"

"Aren't you gonna kiss my Mama?"

Fives felt his face heat up again and Skylar burst into laughter. She hugged her daughter close and kissed the top of each tiny montral. "_Ad'ika_, why don't you go see if your Uncle Gabe needs your help with Briika, okay?"

Tea looked at both of them suspiciously, "Okay." She got off her mother's lap and walked to the door. Turning around and staring at them one more time before she went up the stairs.

Skylar put her hand over her mouth and started laughing again, her face it's own bright shade of red. Fives had absolutely no idea what to say or do. He hadn't been expecting the little girl to bring that up. He'd figured that once it had been explained to Teanna that he and her mother couldn't be together, she'd drop the issue. _Apparently not._

Skylar sobered quickly, "I'm _really_ sorry, _F'ika_." She scooted a little farther away from him when all Fives wanted to do was wrap an arm around her and pull her close. Instead, he just met her gaze solidly.

She cleared her throat, "We'd probably better get ready to go. Dover can help you with the armor, should you need him to."

Fives shook his head, "I'll manage."

The woman stood up and Fives caught her arm, "Sky?"

She tried to pull her arm out of his grasp, but he held her firmly. She sighed, "What, Fives?"

"Are you sure that we can't... Are you sure that this is what you want?"

She settled back down, this time right next to him and allowed him to wrap his arm around her, "No, Fives. It's not what I want. But it's the way it is. The way it has to be," her voice broke on the last word and he wrapped his other arm around her too, pulling her closer.

He didn't have a clue about what he should say. _I'm just surprised that she's actually letting me hold her like this. But it can't last._ "I'm sorry, Skylar. I shouldn't have brought this up again."

For a minute, she was quiet. Then she started speaking, "I wish that it could be like this for us all the time. That we could..." She let her words trail off before kissing his cheek softly, "Thank you for being so understanding, _F'ika_. You're the best. You really are."

He wanted to kiss her right then and there. _That will only push her away though. It might be fairer to the both of us if we just go our separate ways._ But Fives knew that it would hurt, not being able to see her every day. Not knowing if... _Stop right there._ He couldn't even think about losing her. Especially when he'd never had her to begin with.

An hour later and he was following Skylar into the sleaziest tavern he'd ever heard of. Skylar touched her gloved fingers to her helmet politely and nodded at the bartender before leading Fives to a table in the corner.

"Where's your 'friend,' Sky?"

"Running late, as usual," she leaned back casually in the chair and folded her arms. Looking every bit a Mando woman just taking a break with a friend. Nothing suspicious at all. The bartender didn't even bother looking at them after they were seated, so Fives figured that Skylar came by here often to meet with her informant. Probably accompanied by one of her brothers, since the occupants weren't giving Fives a second glance either.

As they waited, Skylar started to softly sing the same song that she and Gabe had sung on the way to Zygerria. The one that he'd first thought was a lament, until Gabe had explained it to him later on.

The sudden movement on the 360 in his HUD almost made Fives stiffen. He forced himself to stay calm, knowing that any more sudden movement would likely scare the infortmant off or start a barfight. Neither consequence, of course, was what their investigation needed right now.

Fives was a little surprised when the origin of the sudden movement revealed itself. A lot more than a little, actually. It was a Wookiee. Medium-sized, but that was still huge compared to Fives' tall height.

Skylar rose and greeted the shaggy being with some affection. This guy was more than just a business partner, apparently.

"Tarcca, this is Fives," Skylar said softly, so she wouldn't be overhead, as she and the Wookiee took their places at the table. She removed her helmet and Fives followed suit, "_F'ika_, this is Katarcca. He's an old business partner of my _Buir_'s."

The Wookiee growled out a sentence and looked expectantly at the clone. Fives, who was barely just beginning to understand _Mando'a_, was at a complete loss as to what Katarcca had just said.

Skylar chuckled, "He only knows Basic, Tarcca." She turned to Fives, "He was reminding me that he used to babysit me as well."

"Which is why you know Wookiee."

Katarcca made a chuffing sound. From Sky's look of amusement, Fives figured that the sound was laughter. "Shyriiwook. The Wookiee language is called Shyriiwook, _F'ika_." She placed her arms on the table and leaned forward on them, "So, what info do you have for me on Eval, Cad, and Hardeen, Tarcca?" _Cad. She's hardly ever calls that hunter by his last name. Probably because she respects him as much as he respects her._

Katarcca growled out a couple more sentences, with Sky nodding occasionally.

"Okay, so Hardeen considers himself a professional sniper. He's from Concord Dawn? Like Jango? I wouldn't have known that." The Wookiee nodded and gave a series of short barks and growls.

But Fives would never hear Skylar's translation. There was the sound of blaster fire and a searing pain in his right forearm. He groaned, but pulled his helmet on quickly as he ducked back under the table.

"_F'ika_! Are you okay?" Sky's frantic voice asked over the link.

"I'm fine, just a flesh wound," he responded as he tried to locate her. She was two tables over, wrestling with a thug that had a _very_ long knife. She delivered an incapacitating blow to the Rodian's head and he fell to the floor. Fives aimed his blaster pistol left-handed at another crook that was coming up behind her. The Trandoshan also fell, thanks to the now gaping hole in his neck.

And that was it. _Why would they try to attack us? Unless they're working for Eval and he knows that we're on to him._ Skylar had already explained to him that Bane was one who preferred to kill his opponents face-to-face.

Speaking of the Mando woman, she started to make her way over to him when she gave a bloodcurdling scream. Fives watched in disbelief as she fell, the long knife protruding from the seam in her thigh plates. He ran full tilt towards her, yelling her name as Katarcca attacked and ripped apart the Rodian thug that was supposed to be knocked unconscious.

Skylar didn't answer the ARC trooper. She whimpered, clutching the knife that was embedded in her leg, but letting go of it quickly with a moan. Fives, beyond worried at the sight of all the blood, began removing her leg plates. He extended the vibroblade on his wrist gauntlet and cut the pant leg of her flight suit off, using half of it for a tourniquet. Then, he pulled the knife out. Skylar screamed again and his gut twisted. What sickened him even further was that her blood was spilling faster. The knife had pierced her femoral artery.

It was then that the Wookiee pushed him out of the way and used the rest of the piece of flight suit to bandage Skylar's wound tightly. Katarcca lifted the bloodied Mando carefully in his arms and Fives had the semblance of mind to grab the woman's leg plates. He followed the Wookiee out of the tavern at a breakneck pace until they reached a speeder. Without hesitation, Fives climbed in and Katarcca laid Sky gently in the ARC's lap before climbing into the pilot's seat.

_Please don't die on me, Sky._ He clutched her close. And she went limp, fading fast into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p><em>k'atini = suck it up!<em>

_buir = papa_

_Please R&R._


	34. Lost

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to laloga for reveiwing!_

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><p>Fives paced the waiting room in the medcenter. It seemed like hours since the medics had taken Skylar back into the operating theater. <em>She can't die. She just can't.<em> Katarcca growled a few soft sentences, but Fives, not knowing Shyriiwook, just ignored the Wookiee. Until the walking carpet stepped in front of him and firmly planted the ARC in a chair. The clone fidgeted, but after seeing what the Wookiee had done to the unlucky Rodian, he didn't dare even _think_ about resuming his pacing.

"Fives? What are you and Tarcca doing here?" Said clone looked up sharply at the sound of the familiar voice. Deena, in pale mint green colored scrubs, was looking at him in alarm. She'd noticed all the blood covering his plates. Gabe's wife rushed to him and immediately began to check him over.

"I'm fine, Deena. I'm not hurt," he said, trying to get her to stop.

She ran her hand over Fives' right forearm and he winced. The half-Firrerreo woman ignored his complaints and promptly removed his arm plates. She then rolled up the sleeve of the flight suit and winced at the burn. "I'm going to get some bacta and bandages for that. Stay right here, Fives," she said with authority. Fives just nodded numbly. He'd never heard his sister-in-law talk that firmly before. Usually, she was extremely soft-spoken.

Katarcca didn't seem surprised though. The Wookiee growled out what seemed like a question.

"He'll fine, Tarcca. Just a second degree burn. Bacta will heal that in a jiffy," Deena responded lightly.

The woman's calm demeanor finally sent Fives over the edge, "How can you be so... so calm, Deena?" The sharpness in his voice made her whip around and stare at him, wide-eyed.

"Fives, it's just a superficial wound," she reassured him gently. "You'll be just fine."

"I'm not talking about that!" Fives knew he was yelling, knew that he was scaring Deena, but he couldn't help it. "Skylar's... She's... Sky's DYING! And all you're worried about is a stupid flesh wound!" He slumped forward in the chair, resting his elbows on his knees and covering his face with his hands, completely drained.

"Wait. Skylar's _here_?" Deena sat beside Fives and rubbed his armored back gently as Katarcca grunted an affirmative, then proceeded to tell her what had happened. "Fives, I honestly had no idea. Do you want me to call the others?"

He nodded, his face still covered by his hands. She pulled his hands away and gently grasped his chin with her small hand, "Fives, go back to the apartment. Get yourself cleaned up and put some bacta on that arm. Don't come back until you've done that."

"But-"

She released him, "No buts. I'm going to call Gabe to let him know that you and Katarcca are coming. I promise that I'll call you first as soon as I know more on Sky's condition, okay?"

"Okay." There was no way that Fives could argue his way out of this one. Katarcca would probably just pick him up like a rag doll if he refused to move.

Jinx rushed forward as Katarcca landed the speeder on Deena's landing platform. Fives just sat there numbly as the red-haired sergeant opened his door.

The older clone placed his hands on his hips, "I know that you're upset, Fives. But you need to snap out of it. This won't help Skylar and you know it." It was true. _But what do I do?_ Something like this had never happened to him before. He just wanted to sit there until Mustafar froze over. _How can this possibly hurt worse than losing Echo?_

The ARC trooper barely acknowledged Jinx as he finally got out of the speeder and walked past him. But he was well aware of his brother's gaze following him with concern. He was faintly aware of Katarcca's rumbling voice. Informing Jinx on what had happened, probably.

The rest of Tor Squad met Fives at the door, but a warning bark from the Wookiee made them quickly part out of the younger clone's way. Gabe handed his fussy baby to Dover and wordlessly followed Fives to the upstair's 'fresher. Fives turned around and gave the hoverchair bound man a scornful look.

Gabe's face, however, was sympathetic, "I'm not going to follow you in there, _vod'ika_. And I'm not going to ask if you're okay. I was just going to let you know that you can borrow some of my civvie clothes. Waiting in full _beskar'gam_ in a medcenter isn't exactly comfortable."

Fives sagged against the wall, "Why did this have to happen, Gabe? Why Skylar?"

"Why anyone, Fives? You and I both know that people are hurt and killed everyday." Fives flinched and Gabe softened his tone. "I can't tell you why, any more than you can tell me. All I do know is that we both need to stay strong. For her sake." He moved his chair closer and gripped the younger clone's forearm strongly, "I know this is hard. And I wish that I could tell you that Sky's pulled through worse. But I can't."

The ARC sniffed, hard. "I've gotta take a shower. Deena won't let me back until I'm clean," he finished, the numbness fading to a raw ache. This was exactly what he'd stopped himself from thinking earlier. He was losing her before he even had a chance to call her his.

Gabe nodded, "I'll leave the clothes out for you. Don't forget that we're scared for her too, okay?"

The older clone began to maneuver his chair towards his and his wife's room when Fives called his name softly. Gabe looked over his shoulder, eyebrows raised.

"I'm sorry, Gabe. Thank you."

Gabe smiled softly, "Nothing to apologize for, _ner vod'ika_. And you're welcome."

The younger clone closed the 'fresher door and began removing the armor plates. Plates covered in _Skylar's_ blood. He shivered as the memory of her bloodcurdling scream filled his mind.

Fives stepped into the shower, letting the hot water soothe his tired muscles as he tried unsuccessfully to keep himself from thinking about what the galaxy would be like without the headstrong Mandalorian woman. He hadn't realized how much he'd grown to care for her. Much, much more than he'd even realized. _I can't believe that it hasn't even been a month since I first met her. Feels like years. And now..._ He shook his head as hard as he could. But that still wasn't enough to get the heart-wrenching thoughts out of his mind.

He finally pulled back the curtain and dryed himself off. His eyebrows shot up in surprise when he saw the clean clothes on the counter. A pair of briefs, of course, and a soft blue short-sleeved tunic and light brown pants. Along with a pair of socks and a pair of soft civvie boots. He hadn't even heard Gabe come in.

As soon as he stepped out of the 'fresher, the personal comlink in his pocket, the one Skylar had given him just before their mission with Jesse, chirped. He quickly pulled it out, "Fives here."

"Hey, it's Deena. Skylar pulled through the operation." The ARC breathed a sigh of relief.

"She'll be okay, then?"

"Fives," the woman said quietly and his heart plummeted.

"What, what's wrong with her? She's not still dying, is she?"

"No. No, she's not getting worse. But she's not getting better either. She's lost so much blood that she's in a coma. The medics don't know when she'll pull out of it." _If she'll pull out of it at all_, Fives finished mentally. "They're still giving her blood transfusions and they're keeping her sedated and on oxygen. They're going to put in a feeding tube if she doesn't wake up in six hours."

"If she's unconscious, then why are they sedating her?" That made absolutely _no_ sense.

"'Cause when people come out of a coma, they often don't recognize where they are. Most start panicking and thrashing." _I guess that does make sense._ "And knowing how fiery Sky usually is..."

That almost got a chuckle out of him. Almost, if the woman he cared about wasn't possibly lying on her death bed. "Deena?"

"Yeah?"

"I apologize for losing it on you. I should have stayed calm."

"It's okay, buddy. I would have done the same thing, if it was Gabe lying on that bed." She and Gabe understood. And for that, he was extremely grateful.

Fives took a shaky breath, "I'll let everyone else know and then I'm going to head back over there. Call me if anything changes, okay?"

"Will do."

He stuffed the personal comlink back into his pocket right as the door to Teanna's room opened. The girl walked out, rubbing tears from her eyes.

"Tea?" he said softly. The little Togruta's dark hazel eyes met his brown ones, but she stayed put, shivering and clutching her Tooka doll, that Aran Squad had given her, tightly to her chest.

He walked over and knelt in front of her, "Squirt. What's wrong?"

She wrapped her little arms around his neck, dropping her doll in the process, "I had a bad dream."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

She shook her head, one of her little montrals brushing against his cheek, "I want my Mama."

_Oh no. How do I tell her that her mother might not live? She's already lost two parents and a close friend. She doesn't need this. Not now._

Devrin chose that exact moment to appear on the second floor. He must have heard what his niece had just said, because he took the little girl from the younger clone, "_T'ika_, your _Buir_'s not here right now."

"Where is she? Can you call her?"

The blue-haired man shook his head, his usually goofy expression now one of concern, "No, I can't. She's at the medcenter that your _ba'vodu_ works at."

"Is she helping Aunt Deena?"

"No, Squirt," Fives answered softly. "She's really sick. I'm going to go see her right now. Do you want to come with me?"

"I don't think-" Devrin began, but he was interrupted by Gabe, who had a now sleeping Briika back in his arms.

"She needs to see her mother _now_, Dev. There might not be time later." _Translation: Let Tea see her mother now just in case Skylar _does_ die._

Fives held back a shiver at that thought as Teanna reached for him. He picked up her Tooka doll before he took the little girl from Devrin.

"Is she going to be okay?"

Gabe leveled a firm gaze at both standing clones. The meaning was obvious. Teanna needed to know the truth. Trying to hide it from her would only make matters worse. _If I was in Tea's position, I would want to know everything._

"I hope so. It doesn't look good right now." Tea teared up and clutched her doll to her chest again as she buried her face in his shoulder. Devrin patted her back reassuringly.

_This is what I need to be doing. Taking care of Tea._ The weight of Sky's little girl in his arms was enough to keep him from feeling like he was still drowning. Even though it didn't lesson any of the pain, he no longer felt lost.

Gabe cleared his throat as he adjusted his hold on the baby, "Your _Buir_'s a fighter, _ad'ika_. She won't give up. It's still very possible that she'll pull through."

Fives began to walk toward the stairs, but Gabe gave a discreet hand signal and Devrin blocked his path.

The ARC trooper's face contorted with anger, but he remembered the child in his arms and he quickly regained his composure, "What's the big idea?"

Gabe gave him a stern look, "You're not going anywhere until Dover bandages that arm of yours."

Fives rolled his eyes. _There's no point in fighting them. No matter how unneccessary this is compared to..._ He gulped softly, feeling his eyes sting with the beginning of tears. _Compared to Sky's... condition._

"That, and you need to report to Rex. I'm pretty sure that Palpatine's giving him a hard time right about now. You and Skylar were supposed to report in about an hour ago," Jinx said as he finished coming up the stairs, Fives' ARC helmet in his hand. "Unless you want me to take care of it?"

The younger clone swallowed and shut his eyes tightly. Just thinking of recounting all that had just happened to Rex, or to anyone else for that matter, was enough to drive him close to going over the edge again. He cleared his throat, but his voice was still weak when he answered Tor's sergeant, "Probably would be best. Thanks, Jinx."

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><p><em>vod'ika = little brother<em>

_beskar'gam = Mandalorian armor_

_ner = my_

_buir = mama_

_ba'vodu = aunt_

_ad'ika = little one  
><em>

_Please R&R. Reviews are a writer's best friend. :)  
><em>


	35. Disbelief

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to Depthcharge2030, laloga, and DarthZ for reviewing!_

_For all of you Rexoka fans, there is a very, very small hint. Don't blink, you might miss it. ;)_

_Sorry for not updating sooner. Website wouldn't let me log in and our internet was down this morning.  
><em>

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><p>Just as General Skywalker and Commander Tano had left to pursue Hardeen, Eval, and Bane, Rex's wrist comlink chirped. His HUD told him that the frequency was one commonly used by the Republic Commandos. Quite possibly, Jesse and his squad, who were set up on the floor below them, had come across something suspicious.<p>

"Rex here." Chancellor Palpatine looked up from his desk with a concerned expression, but remained quiet.

A clone's voice answered, but it wasn't Jesse, "Captain Rex."

"Jinx?" Rex had only met the red-haired sergeant of Tor Squad once, but he remembered the man's accent. A very slight hint of Corellian in the typical clone accent.

The Supreme Chancellor's eyebrows shot up in surprise. The man knew all the names of the men currently guarding him. Not one of them had that particular name.

"Yes sir." Jinx cleared his throat and hesitated.

"Mind telling me why you're contacting me _now_, Sergeant?"

Jinx cleared his throat again and his voice was slightly shaky when he answered, "I need to inform the Chancellor that Sky-" He cleared his throat again, "I mean, Sergeant Cordav's investigation..."

At a nod from the politician, Rex activated the hologram projector on his wrist gauntlet. Jinx's image, completely armored except for his helmet which was clipped to his belt, came to life in the Captain's hand. _Jinx looks like he's been through hell and back. Something bad must have happened._

"Sergeant Jinx, where is Sergeant Cordav?" Palpatine asked, all concern.

Jinx cleared his throat again. "She and Fives met an informant of hers in the Underworld. Two criminals with prices on their heads identified her as a bounty hunter. The Rodian and Trandoshan attacked them, probably trying to avoid capture. Both were killed. However, Fives was shot on the arm. And Skylar's femoral artery was severed." He cleared his throat again, looking extremely uncomfortable. But neither the Chancellor nor the Captain called him out on the slip. "She's in a med center. In a coma." _No wonder he doesn't look well. He must be worried sick about his sister._ Rex had been completely taken aback when Commander Tano had explained to him that Sergeant Cordav's father had legally, by Mandalorian standards (not that anyone sane would contest that), adopted all of the men that he'd been responsible for.

The news of the woman's condition shocked Rex further. The feisty Mando woman was the last person he expected to get hurt. Unless... _The look on her face when I asked her if she was in a relationship with Fives... Either she was trying to protect him, or she was distracted when he was injured. I hadn't realized that she cared for him that much._ Speaking of Fives, where was that ARC Trooper?

Palpatine was thinking the same thing, apparently, "Sergeant, where is the ARC Trooper that was assigned to Sergeant Cordav?"

There was just the slightest twitch in Jinx's face. So slight, that only another clone would have noticed it. The man seemed nervous about something. _But what?_

"Caring for Sarge's four-year-old daughter, sir. Teanna refuses to let Fives out of her sight." Rex immediately was overtaken by the same feeling of protectiveness that he'd felt toward the child when they and General Kenobi had been prisoners on Kadavo. _Poor kid's been through enough already._ It was understandable for her to be clingy. But why Fives? Why not one of Cordav's brothers? It just didn't make sense. _Unless Fives and Cordav are closer than I'd thought._

Jinx seemed to be chewing something over, "Sirs? With your permission, my squad and I are more than willing to carry on Sergeant Cordav's investigation for her."

"Thank you, Sergeant Jinx. But I'm afraid that's just not possible now. I asked Skylar personally because she knows how Bane operates. None of you have that knowledge and it would be suicide for you and your men to even attempt to track them down." Again, Jinx showed just a flicker of emotion that only Rex caught. This time, the red-haired man's shoulders tightened in indignation at the implication that he and his men were inadequate for the job. _And he's right to be mad. From what I've heard, the commando training on Kamino was much more intense than ours._

"And besides, the purpose of the investigation is now moot," Chancellor Palpatine continued. "I have just sent General Skywalker and his Padawan after the three criminals." This time, it was Rex who stiffened slightly. _Palpatine's close enough to General Skywalker. He _should_ know Ahsoka's name by now._

As soon as Rex had shut off the link, General Windu contacted him.

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><p>Kot sat next to Top in the cargo bay of Beta Squad's current transport, both of them cleaning their weapons as Hew talked on a personal comlink with Sergeant Jinx. Doz was preoccupying himself by tinkering with some of the explosives. The former trooper knew that the devices were deactivated and that the ordnance man knew what he was doing. But neither fact kept him from feeling a little nervous. Doz tossed one of the thermal dets up and caught it quickly. <em>Okay, a lot nervous.<em>

Two things kept Kot from snapping at the jokester. The first was that he himself still wasn't used to the dynamics of this squad. Like Skylar, they were all very relaxed. Every man was allowed to speak his mind. _Encouraged_ to question their commanding officer. Kot had watched in disbelief as Top had told Hew that he was a _di'kut_, an idiot. What had shocked him even further was when the bald clone had then proceeded to do things _his_ way. Hew hadn't even called the headstrong clone out on it either.

The other thing was that Kot knew something was up. All three of them were worried at the upset tone in Hew's voice as he talked to Jinx. Their sergeant spoke too softly for them to understand what he was saying, but Hew's body language was enough to let them know that something was seriously wrong.

Which was why the three of them were currently engaged in 'displacement activity,' as Skylar had called it. Kot was a master at that, which shamed him. When his last squadron brother had been lying there on that medical bed, Kot had imagined to himself that he hadn't known Watt. Not until his brother had slipped away did he realize his mistake. That was why he had attempted suicide. He'd been present physically when his brother had died, but his brother had needed him to be there mentally too. _I failed him._

He still hadn't talked with anyone about that. It still hurt too much. And he couldn't bear the idea of what the others might think of him when he was reduced to tears.

Top snapped his fingers in front of Kot's face, "Kot, that's the third time Hew's called your name." _Oh. I keep forgetting that I'm not 'Thirteen' anymore._ When Skylar had given him that name, he'd felt much better than he had since the first Battle of Geonosis. And it had been a life-line to him when he'd still been drowning in his loss.

It still took some getting used to. His brothers had called him 'Thirteen' since they were small kids. Watt had been the only one who'd called him 'Thirty.'

"You still with us, _Kot'ika_?" Hew asked with concern. The three commandos still occasionally asked him that question. Especially whenever he went quiet. They seemed to be worried that he was still contemplating suicide. _I'm grateful that they're worried about me. I know I'm not alone now. But I just wish that they'd realize that I'm _not_ going to go there again. I can't do that to my..._ _family._ That's what this was. What Skylar and 'her boys,' as she called them, had was more than just men who called each other brothers and fought together on the battlefield. They were so... _enmeshed_ in each other. They even told each other that they loved each other, occasionally. Kot remembered how his eyes had gone wide when Hew had told him and Top that when they'd split up earlier during the mission. Of course, Top had thought that the former trooper's astonishment and confusion had been hysterical. It had taken the bald clone a while to calm down before he could even begin to explain.

Skylar's brothers were just that. Her brothers. Her father had adopted them. And, just like a normal family, they weren't afraid of the 'mushy stuff,' as Lark, another of Kot's deceased brothers, had called it.

Kot cleared his throat, "Yeah, I'm still with you." They gave him concerned looks and he quickly added, "I'm still not used to my new name."

Doz slapped his back, "That's alright." The jokester gave him an evil look that Kot was beginning to hate. The one look that _always_ proceeded some kind of prank. "I can help you out there."

Kot just glared back. He'd been doing that so much lately that Doz had once teased him that his face would permanently be set that way.

"Now's not the time for one of your jokes, Doz," Hew said sternly. Like Kot, Hew was also struggling with his new role. The quieter clone was obviously uncomfortable encroaching on what had once been Gabe's territory. But, also like Kot, he was slowly, but steadily, getting used to his new lot in life.

The reluctant commanding note in the sergeant's voice wasn't what got their attention. It was the fact that Hew's voice was actually _shaking_. The man was usually as solid as they came. _Something _really_ bad must have happened. They've probably lost another squad of brothers._

None of them expected what Hew said next. "Skylar's at one of the medcenters on Corrie." His voice broke as he finished, "She's in a coma. The docs don't know if she'll wake up."

The three sitting clones were perfectly still.

_What? Skylar's dying? No. That can't be right..._ He gave Hew a look that clearly pleaded the sergeant to be joking. Hew shook his head, indicating that he wasn't. _How? What happened?_ Kot wanted to ask those questions out loud, but, for some reason, his voice wasn't working.

Top set his DC-17 rifle down carefully. Then he exploded. He threw his clean rag down and stomped down the corridor in the direction of the cabin he shared with Kot. As soon as he was out of sight, there was a series of loud bangs. The first was loud enough to make both Doz and Kot jump to their feet.

Hew signaled for them to stay put, but Kot wasn't having it. Top was the closest he had to a friend. And, if anything, Kot knew that it wasn't a good idea to leave someone alone while they were grieving. _Grieving. Skylar's not dead, but here I am thinking that it's a done deal. She didn't give up on me. I can't give up on her._ _I can't fail her like I failed Watt._

Hew gave Kot a disapproving look, but didn't make a move to stop him. Kot followed the sound of the banging and found Top in their cabin, venting his frustration out on the durasteel wall. Heedless of the danger he might be putting himself in, Kot moved forward and laid a hand on Top's shoulder. The bald clone whirled around, but let his fists drop.

Without saying a word to Kot, Top sat dejectedly on his mattress. It was several minutes before the bald clone took a shaky breath and finally broke the silence, "_S'ika_'s always been there for us, Kot. Ever since that first day on Kamino... She's always had my back. And now..." Kot's eyes widened in surprise as the gruff clone's own brown eyes filled with tears, "And now, it's possible that she won't be there anymore. What am I going to do without her?" Top wasn't prepared for this. He'd never really lost a close brother. His original squad was still intact. Yes, he'd lost some of the brothers that had been adopted along with him and he'd loved those men. But he hadn't been as close to them as he was to the Mandalorian woman.

Kot could think of only one thing to say, "She's not gone yet, Top."

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><p><em>Please R&amp;R. Reviews are always welcome!<em>


	36. Bad Dream

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to laloga and Janizary for reviewing!  
><em>

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><p>Teanna, Tooka doll in one hand, held onto Fives with what could only be described as a death grip. She'd actually started crying when he began to give her to her Aunt Deena so that he could check on her mother. Fives gently pried her fingers loose from his shirt and Tea buried her face in the shirt of her aunt's mint green scrubs.<p>

"I'll be right back, Squirt." He cleared his throat, "I promise, kiddo. I'm not leaving you."

The little Togruta pulled back to look him straight in the eye, "Like Mama's leaving me? Like Mommy, Daddy, and Obi-Wan left me?" His eyes glistened and she cried harder. _I don't want Fives to go._ Aunt Deena bounced gently, rubbing soothing circles on Tea's back. Uncle Devrin took her from her aunt and held the little girl close to him.

"Your _Buir_'s not leaving you yet, _ad'ika_. You can't give up now, sweetie."

Tea just clung to him, crying and shivering violently. _I want Mama. I want her._

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><p>Deena reached to take Teanna from Fives and the little girl started sobbing. Clinging to him so tightly. The ARC hated leaving her, even if he knew that the child wouldn't be alone. Devrin and Deena would be there for her.<p>

And he needed to see Skylar before Tea did. He needed to know _exactly_ what the little girl would be seeing when she laid eyes on her mother. And although he doubted it would be gruesome, Sky's injury wasn't extensive, he still didn't want to be surprised.

That, and he needed time to compose himself before he went back to Tea. He didn't want to scare her unnecessarily.

As he approached the threshold to Skylar's room, he fingered Tea's Tooka doll. She'd put in his hand right before he left her with her aunt and uncle in that waiting room. She seemed to think that doing so made sure that he'd come back for her, since he needed to give her toy back anyway. _I didn't know that she cared for me that much._ No. Sky's little girl _loved_ him. Hence the reason that she'd kept bringing up his relationship with her mother in her own innocent little way.

It was several minutes before he finally worked up the courage to enter Sky's room. He gasped when he finally laid eyes on her still form. It wasn't gruesome, but it was so much worse than he expected.

Skylar was lying perfectly still, almost lifeless except for the telltale rise and fall of her chest that signified that she was still breathing. She had several different IVs, Fives counted three, one of them blood red, connected to the needles in the back of her left hand. And an oxygen mask. But she wasn't on a ventilator, so that was something.

Still, the sight of her lying so deathly still was enough to cause him to finally lose it. Thankfully, he'd closed the door behind him. Otherwise, he would have have fallen into the hallway. As it was, he slumped against the door and slid down until he was sitting on the floor. He began shaking so violently. It wasn't until he brought his hands up to his face and felt something wet did he realize that he was _sobbing_. _She shouldn't be here. By rights, she shouldn't even be here. If I had been keeping a better watch, I wouldn't have been shot and she wouldn't have been distracted by _me_. This is all my fault._

_Sitting here and crying like a baby isn't going to fix this._ With a shaky sigh, he pulled himself to his feet and walked slowly towards Skylar's bedside. Hesitatingly, he took her hand, the one that didn't have the tubes connected to it, and gripped it tightly.

Deena had just told him before Teanna's outburst that people in a coma could sometimes still hear what was going on around them, even if they couldn't respond.

_It's worth a try, I guess._ "Skylar?" he began uncertainly. No response, of course. "Sky, if you can hear me, this is Fives." _Boy, do I feel stupid. But this is for her, not me._ He cleared his throat again, "You already know that, probably."

Still nothing. Somewhere in his mind, he'd hoped that his voice would be enough to wake her up. _Here I am, an ARC Trooper, a clone, wishing that fairy tales are true. Boy, am I pathetic._

"Sky... Skylar, you've got to hold on." His voice broke yet again, "Please. You've got to wake up. Tea needs you. Your brothers do too." _And I can't imagine life without you._

Still not working. Fives' eyes watered again, and he angrily wiped the tears away. He'd never really cried before today. He'd come close on the way back to Coruscant from Lola Sayu after Echo had died. But nothing like this.

_Sky's life is on the line. I've _got_ to get a hold of myself. She needs me to be strong, for Tea. I've _got_ to pull myself together. Sky wouldn't lose it like this._ The memory of her panicked voice when the Trandoshan's bolt had hit his arm came to his mind. He flinched when his mind mercilessly continued. The sight of her falling with the knife in her leg...

His grip on her hand tightened. _So much for calming down._

But this was a calm as he was going to get. _I need to get Tea. She's probably hysterical right now._

Without even thinking, he leaned over and kissed the woman's forehead, "I'll be right back, Sky." _She's going to kill me for that if she ever comes__ to._

As soon as Teanna saw him, she wiggled out of Devrin's arms, almost making the blue-haired man drop her, and ran full force to Fives. He crouched and she smacked into him, wrapping her little arms around his neck as tightly as she could. She wasn't crying anymore, but the tears were still running down her little face. He stood up and handed Tea her doll before holding her closer.

"Is Mama going to be okay?"

"I don't know." Tea shivered and he rubbed her back like he'd seen Dev and Deena do. "But she's still hanging on. Do you want to see her?"

She nodded, so hard that one of her little montrals jabbed his chin. _That's gonna leave a mark, but I'm not complaining._

As soon as he reached the doorway to Skylar's room again, with Devrin right behind him, Tea wiggled out of his arms and ran to her mother's bed. Being extremely careful as she climbed up to sit next to the woman.

"Mama? Mama, it's Tea. You've got to wake up. Please wake up." Devrin coughed discreetly, but when Fives looked back he could clearly see the other clone's tears. The ARC held back as the commando joined his niece at his sister's bedside.

Fives turned when he felt a gentle hand gripping his arm. Deena herself was tearing up, "Poor Sky." She sniffed, "She's the only sister I've got, Fives. What are we going to do if she does...?" He squeezed her shoulder and her work comlink chirped at that exact moment.

"I've got to go. Another emergency case. I'll be back as soon as possible, okay?"

He nodded and she rushed off.

Fives just stood there, watching Sky's little girl begging her mother to wake up.

Several hours later and Fives was awakened by the door sliding open. A medic and a nurse that wasn't Deena entered Skylar's room. The nurse was pushing some kind of cart with some unidentified medical equipment.

As soon as the medic, a Mon Calamari, approached, Fives sat up slowly on the couch that he and Tea were sleeping on. Devrin had left about three hours ago. Tor Squad had been sent on another mission.

"What's going on?" Fives asked with alarm, as the nurse removed Skylar's oxygen mask.

"Sir," the medic began. "I'm going to have to ask you and your daughter to leave the room." The medic cut Fives off before he could say anything, "Just for a few minutes." The male Mon Calamari's demeanor was reassuring, but after the med droid fiasco, the ARC Trooper wasn't too keen on trusting the alien.

"Tea's not my daughter. Her mother," he nodded soberly toward Skylar, "is a good friend of mine." _More than a good friend, but he doesn't need to know that._ "Why are you asking us to leave?"

"My apologies, sir. Miss Cordav has been unconscious for almost seven hours. My assistant and I need to insert the feeding tube, pronto. Or she'll starve."

No matter how much Fives wanted to stay with Skylar, he knew that Tea was a light sleeper lately. And the little girl didn't need to see what the two were about to do with her mother. He nodded, "Alright."

Very carefully, he picked up the sleeping little Togruta, but Teanna awoke immediately, "Fives, did Mama wake up?"

He shook his head sadly, "No, Squirt. The medics have to give her a checkup. We need to get out of their way." _I want to tell her what's going on right now. But Dev's right. To a point. Tea doesn't need to know every little detail. She's still too little for that._

_A feeding tube. This just keeps getting worse and worse._ It didn't help that he was the only adult of their group there. Katarcca had went back to the underground for some unknown reason. And it would be several more hours before Deena's shift ended. Gabe couldn't come until his wife got back to the apartment, he needed to care for Briika. Beta and Aran Squads were both coming back home for a short relief, but they weren't due on Triple Zero until about noon the next day.

* * *

><p>As soon as they landed, Top had wanted to head to the medcenter immediately. Kot had agreed with him. But Hew had insisted that they remain calm. They were professionals. And professionals kept their heads and followed procedure. They needed to debrief with General Zey first and meet up with Aran Squad. Then they could go. Top began to vehemently disagree.<p>

"ENOUGH!" Doz yelled. The other three were looking at the normally laid-back man with varying degrees of disbelief on their faces. Doz had never _ever_ yelled like that before.

The ordnance expert paused briefly before speaking quietly, "Arguing is not going to get us anywhere. We need to follow the rules first. It's what Sky would want us to do. She wouldn't want us to draw unwanted attention to ourselves. The last thing she'd ask for us to do would be to get ourselves court-martialed." _That's true. Skylar cares more for us than she does herself._ In the short amount of time that Kot had known the Mandalorian woman, that had been _very_ clear from the start.

_Doesn't stop us from worrying, though._

As soon as the eight of them reached the medcenter waiting room, they were greeted by Gabe in his hoverchair. Deena, the nurse, was nowhere in sight.

"How is she, Gabe?" Top asked, unable to control his anxiety any longer.

"The same. Her medic ended up inserting a feeding tube last night." _He looks exhausted.__ Has he been here this whole time?  
><em>

"How's Tea handling it?" That was Doz.

"She handling it pretty well. As well as can be expected with everything else that she's gone through already. She won't let go of Fives."

"And where are they?" Kot asked uncertainly.

"Sky's room. Both of them are out like lights. They kind of had a very interrupted night last night." _So he wasn't here. I wonder why? He cares for Skylar just as much as my squad-mates do._

"Interrupted?" That was Wreck, Aran's sergeant. The other three members, whose names Kot hadn't even bothered to memorize since he was too preoccupied with worry over Skylar, were all extremely quiet. In fact, that entire squad hadn't talked much since Beta had met up with them.

Gabe nodded, subdued, "A medcenter isn't exactly a comfortable place."

At that moment, a piercing alarm came from one of the closer rooms. A team of medics, all organics, or 'wets' as Skylar's brothers called them, rushed into the room. And a very distraught Fives, a terrified Tea clinging to him, was pushed out.

"Fives!" Doz rushed to the younger clone and gripped his forearm to steady him. "What's happening?"

Aran stood there, all of them very unsure. Top, Doz, and Kot all exchanged very scared looks. Hew made to take Tea from the ARC, but both clone and child were clinging to each other tightly.

Kot had never seen a brother lose it like Fives was doing right now. "She... Sky quit breathing!" Gabe, Hew, and Top all tried to comfort Fives and Tea, but neither would let anyone near them as they clung to each other.

The former trooper let himself fall into the closest chair. _This _cannot_ be happen__ing. This has to be a dream. Yeah, that's it. A really bad dream._ But, by the way Doz, his squad's medic, and one of the men from Aran, probably their squad's medic, exchanged a quick look and rushed to the room, Kot knew that this was no dream. Not until Gabe's arm wrapped around his shoulders, did Kot realize that he was sobbing.

* * *

><p><em>Please R&amp;R.<em>


	37. Worried

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to Janizary, DarthZ, TheStoopeds182, laloga, NC Writer, and ComradeGoonie for reviewing! You guys are awesome!  
><em>

* * *

><p>Fives walked right behind Echo and Skylar, listening to them on their private channel and laughing quietly as the two argued over rules. Every time that Echo quoted a regulation, Sky had a quick rebuttal. If anyone else besides Fives was listening in, they would have assumed that the ARC with the hand-print on his chest plate was getting frustrated with the Mandalorian sergeant. In all actuality, Fives' brother was enjoying himself. No one had really taken the time to discuss the regulations with him before.<p>

Echo turned his helmeted head to give Fives a quick glance, "Where did you find a girl like this, Fives? And how come you didn't get me one too?"

_Okay, Echo's in a _really_ good mood. I've _never_ heard him joke like this._

Skylar laughed as the three of them continued to lead the way through Lola Sayu's winding tunnels.

Then, everything went south. Echo saw a seemingly abandoned starship. He rushed off and Skylar took off after him, yelling for him to come back. Fives froze behind the outcropping of rock that he'd taken shelter behind as laser bolts appeared seemingly from nowhere. The ship exploded and two helmets landed at his feet. One belonged to his closest brother. The other belonged to the woman he cared about. The insides of both helmets were charred black.

"Echo! Skylar! NO!"

Fives jerked awake, breaking into a cold sweat. That was even worse than the dream he'd had on the way to Zygerria. He forced himself to take slower breaths and tried to reassure himself. He checked his comlink to make sure that he hadn't missed any calls and gave a sigh of relief when the device showed that he didn't have any messages whatsoever.

Gabe or Deena hadn't called. _That means that Skylar's still hanging on._

It had been four days since Skylar's lungs had quit on her. The medics, with the help of Doz and Fidget, had been able to resuscitate the woman. But her breathing had been too shallow. The medic assigned to her, the Mon Calamari, had insisted that Sky be put on life support. Four days on the machine and she still hadn't shown any signs of improving.

Not that Fives would know. Two days after the incident, he'd been shipped out again. This time to assist the 501st again. None of Skylar's family had been happy about that. Tea had actually gone ballistic. Fives grimaced, remembering the way the little girl had clung to him, crying harder than he'd ever seen her do before. It had taken him forever to get her to calm down.

She'd made him take her doll with him. And she'd made him promise, several times, that he'd call whenever he could. Speaking of which...

Fives checked the chronometer on the wall of the cabin that he had all to himself. The first night he'd woken up on the Destroyer, he'd fully expected to see Teanna nestled against him.

He shook his head, making himself focus. It was 0341, Coruscant time. Tea would still be asleep. _I don't want to wake her, but we're fighting in a few hours._ He reached under his pillow and pulled out the Tooka doll, running his finger over it's face as he agonized over what he should do. _There's no _way_ that I could go back to sleep now. But... I _need_ to now how Sky's doing. And I did promise Tea..._ "_Osik_!" _Might as well._

He clicked in the security number that Skylar had showed him, the one that Mereel had given to her, and then punched in Gabe's number.

"Fives, do you realize what time it is?" Gabe said irritably. That surprised the ARC Trooper. Gabe _never_ used that tone with _anyone_. Briika must have been giving him a hard time.

"Sorry, _ner vod_. I just needed..."

"Sky's okay, _vod'ika_," the older clone responded, gently this time. "She's still in the coma. But her breathing's stronger than when you called last. Not by much, or I would have called you sooner."

For the first time in days, Fives finally found himself beginning to relax. Slightly. He was about to ask if he could talk to Tea, but the little girl's voice interrupted him.

"Uncle Gabe, it that Fives? Can I talk to him?" _So that's why Gabe's in a bad mood. _Both_ girls are keeping him up._

There was a muffled 'yes' from the older clone, a rustling sound, and then Teanna's voice spoke, "Fives! I miss you. When are you coming home?" Her eagerness to see him was almost enough to get his mind off of his worry for her mother.

"I miss you too, Squirt." _I don't know why I even started calling her that. But it fits._ "It'll be a little while before we're done here." _There is _no_ way that I'm going to tell her that I'll be fighting on the front lines in the morning._

"Are you fighting tomorrow?" Her little voice sounded so pathetic. _I keep forgetting how smart she is for such a little girl._

He sighed, resigned, "Yes. But I'll be careful like I always am."

"You promise?"

"I promise, Tea."

"_T'ika_, Fives has to work tomorrow," Deena's voice spoke softly. The woman must have just gotten back to the apartment. "And you need to get back to bed."

"Awww. But Aunt Deena-"

Fives chuckled, "You need to listen to your aunt, Squirt. I'll call you the next time I've got some free time. Okay?"

"Okay. I love you, Fives."

He paused. _That's the first time she's said that. But can I say the same and _mean_ it?_

"Love you too, Tea. You be good for your aunt and uncle."

"I will. Be _careful_. Bye!" The link went dead. And Fives found himself laughing at the little girl's antics.

He looked up and nearly choked. Rex was standing in the doorway, arms crossed. He'd been so caught up in talking to Sky's little girl that he hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings._ Rex must have just gotten off watch on the bridge._ Fives knew that his former CO was relieved to be off guard duty, now that General Skywalker and several other Jedi, along with a few of Fox's men, were headed to Naboo with the Chancellor. Rex, like Fives, _hated_ sitting around while his brothers were fighting. _Every_ clone felt the same way. Even some non-clones, like Sky. _She won't be too happy when she finally wakes up. If she does..._

"Who was that, Fives?" the Captain asked, eyes narrowing.

Fives cleared his throat, uncomfortable. Skylar had already told him that Rex was on to them. _I need to be _extremely_ careful._

"Tea." He watched in astonishment as Rex's features softened.

The hardened Captain unfolded his arms, "How is she?"

_I keep forgetting that Teanna's as close to Rex as she was to General Kenobi._ The blonde clone was genuinely worried about the headstrong little girl that he'd tried to protect on Kadavo.

"As good as can be. She'll be better when her mama actually wakes up." Fives tried to keep the longing out of his voice when he mentioned Skylar.

"How is Sergeant Cordav? Jinx said that she's in a coma, but I haven't heard anything since."

"Her lungs gave out four days ago." Rex's eyes widened. "She's still alive," Fives added hurriedly. "Just on life support," he finished glumly.

Rex winced. "You're close to her, aren't you?" _Oh no. This is great. Just great._

"Tea probably thinks of me as another uncle." Even to him, that sounded awful.

"I'm not stupid, Fives. There's something going on between you and Sergeant Cordav. You know that fraternization among the ranks is against regulation," Rex admonished firmly.

"No, it's not." Fives wanted to smack himself right then. _I as good as told him that I care for her._

Rex's eyes widened. _No, I made him think that she and I _are_ together. I'm too worried about Skylar that I can't even think straight._

Fives rolled his eyes, "No, we're _not_ together."

"Even if you want to be." It was a statement, not a question.

He sighed, even though that was tantamount to an admission. "Rex, we've got a battle tomorrow," he stated as he, very carefully so that the Captain wouldn't see, slipped Tea's Tooka doll back under his pillow.

The battle had lasted three long days. And, finally, they were headed back to Triple Zero. They'd won the battle but the KIA count was way too high, in Fives' humble opinion. At least that wasn't due to a treacherous Jedi like Krell.

Fives was cleaning his blaster when Tup sauntered over to him, "Hey Fives. Long time no see. How's it like working with a Mando?" Tup almost said 'sir.' _He's still getting used to things._

"Alright. They're not all as bad as we thought. You know that the Alpha ARCs and the older commandos were mostly trained by Mandos, right?" He only asked that question to keep Tup from asking about Skylar. Cleaning his blaster was the only thing he could think of to keep himself distracted.

Tup, a look of astonishment on his face, sat carefully on the crate closest to the ARC and Fives noticed that in place of the rookie's right shin plate there was a bandage.

"You okay, Tup?"

"Fine, just shaved me." _If anything, the kid looks pretty satisfied with himself._

The ARC was quiet, his thoughts again on Skylar. He'd get to see her again in just an hour. As soon as he'd finished debriefing. _But for how long?_ He wanted nothing more than to sit by her side until she woke up. A small part of him wished that he'd be the first thing that she saw when... if...

"Something bothering you, Fives?"

He shook his head. _Am I that transparent?_ Tup was looking at him expectantly. _I guess I am. I can see why Sky didn't want..._ Fives quickly derailed that train of thought.

Thankfully, that was when the docking procedures began. Tup and Fives went their separate ways. And Fives breathed a sigh of relief. He really liked Tup, but a lot of the younger clones were a little too curious. He'd been that way himself, not too long ago. Before he'd lost his brothers. And before Sky... _Skylar, you've got to get better. Please._

"Hey, Fives!" Tup's voice called out to him again. The ARC Trooper turned to him, "You do know that General Kenobi's alive, right?"

* * *

><p>Cordav remembered Fives talking to her. And she remembered the feel of his lips against her forehead. <em>He kissed me.<em> But that wasn't what was preoccupying her right then. What was bothering her was the tube in her throat. She felt like she was going to gag if she couldn't get it out. But her hands wouldn't respond. She willed herself to move, but something just wasn't connecting.

Slowly, Skylar opened her brown eyes, shutting them quickly. Those lights were just a little too bright. Even slower this time, she opened her eyes, giving them time to adjust. She was in some kind of room that had off-white tiles on the ceiling. That didn't help much. For all she knew, she could have just passed out in an office building. _Not that that's ever happened before. Still wouldn't explain the thing in my throat, though._

She tried turning her head and instantly regretted it. Doing that made the urge to gag even worse.

"Sky?" She recognized the voice. It was Gabe. _What's he doing here?_ She found herself wishing that Fives was there instead. _Selfish! Gabe's probably worried out of his mind as it is!_

He took her right hand and it wasn't until her fingers wound around his that she realized that she'd finally gained some semblance of control over her hand.

He stroked her face with his other hand and she blinked again. _Gabe, if you don't get this tube out... I don't care how you do it, just get it out!_

It was a relief when an alien in a medic's scrubs finally came into the room. Skylar resisted the urge to cough as the Mon Calamari slipped the tube out of her throat. And then the one out of her nose that she hadn't even noticed until right then. _Feeding tube. I was on a feeding tube. My family's probably ballistic right now._

When both annoying objects were removed, she gave the medic a scornful glare, "Was that really necessary?" Cordav had been going for threatening, but her voice was weak and scratchy. She sounded more like a whiny rich kid than a battle-hardened warrior.

The medic exchanged a look with Gabe, who smiled apologetically, "Sorry about that, sir. Sky's not used to being taken care of. I'll explain it to her, if that's alright?"

The fish-alien nodded quietly and left, taking the hateful things with him. Skylar turned her head towards her brother, since she was unable to sit up.

He leaned forward in his hoverchair and kissed her forehead, much like _F'ika_ had done. But it sure didn't feel the same. _How long ago was that exactly? And where's my Tea?_

"First off... Don't you ever scare us like that again," he said firmly, but gently.

"Gabriel. Tell me what happened before I go crazy. _Gedet'ye_." She winced at how weak her voice still sounded.

* * *

><p><em>osik = crap<em>

_ner vod = my brother_

_vod'ika = little brother_

_gedet'ye = please_

_Please R&R._


	38. Cyar'ika

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to TheStoopeds182, Admiral Daala, laloga, NC Writer, and ComradeGoonie for reviewing!  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>General Kenobi's still alive? What? But he was assassinated! This just doesn't make any sense...<em> Fives was going through several different scenarios in his head as he walked down the corridor to General Zey's office. He wasn't expecting Maze to walk out and nod to him.

He saluted the Alpha ARC as he walked past him, but Maze called after him. Fives turned, a little unsure. He'd been under the impression that the ARC Captain didn't care much for him. "Yes sir?"

"How is Sergeant Cordav?" Maze seemed genuinely worried. _Huh?_

Fives hesitated before answering, "She's on life support, but Gabe said that her breathing's getting stronger."

"She'll pull through, then?"

"Umm... Looks like it."

"Good." Captain Maze nodded curtly before stomping off. _What in the _manda_?_

Fives shook his head and slipped into Zey's office. He answered the General's questions and gave him all the details that were necessary. General Zey dismissed him, but Fives just stood there, waiting expectantly.

"Yes, Fives?"

"Is it true, sir? Is General Kenobi still alive?"

Zey looked a little flustered. "Yes."

The Jedi didn't seem to mind Fives' questioning though, so the ARC Trooper pressed further, "Then why...?"

"The Council learned that Moralo Eval was planning to kidnap Chancellor Palpatine. They decided it was best for one of the Masters to go undercover to unravel the plot. Obi-Wan volunteered and he masqueraded as Rako Hardeen."

That was when it all finally clicked. "They had General Kenobi _pretend_ to be dead?" _Knowing General Skywalker, he probably didn't take that well at all._ Fives hadn't served long under the supposed 'Chosen One,' but he'd been around the young Jedi Knight enough to know that the man valued friendship and trust a lot more than the average Jedi did. Skywalker wasn't one to remain detached.

"Yes. Obi-Wan succeeded with Skywalker's help."

"So, General Skywalker did know about it, then?"

Zey shook his head and rubbed his temples, "No. And he wasn't happy about it. I can tell you that much. Is that all, Fives?"

"Yes sir." _I wouldn't be happy either, if someone I trusted lied to me like that._

Maze came back into the office then, with two cups of caf. He gave one to the General as Fives walked out the door.

_Now to check on Skylar._ He punched in Gabe's number again, but there was no answer. _That _cannot_ be good._ His pulse raced faster and Fives clenched his fists as he tried to force himself to calm down. _Someone would have called me if something went wrong. They wouldn't hold off unless..._ He gulped. _Unless it was really bad._ That was just his fear speaking. He knew that even if Skylar had... died, that Gabe would call him immediately. Still...

He tried Deena's comlink and she finally picked up. But it wasn't Deena's voice that greeted him.

"Fives, is that you? Fives, guess what!" Tea sounded excited. With the little girl, it could be something as trivial as her dressing herself. She'd actually boasted to him about that once.

Fives found himself hoping that Teanna had some good news about her mother, "What, Squirt?" As long as the kid sounded happy, he knew that Sky was still alive.

"You've got to guess, Fives," she instructed patiently.

He rolled his eyes, "Is your mama getting better?"

"Yep! She's awake!"

Fives' heart leapt in his chest. _She's awake. Sky's awake!_ "When?"

"Just a few minutes ago. Uncle Gabe just called." _That explains why he wasn't picking up._

"Where are you?" Tea asked, just the slightest hint of fear coloring her voice. _She thinks that I'm still on the battlefield._

"I'm at the barracks, Squirt. I'm on Coruscant."

"Right now?" She asked, her voice incredulous. Which only made him laugh.

"Yes, Tea. I'm coming to the apartment to get you right now. Okay?"

"Okay. You didn't lose my doll, did you?"

Half an hour later and Fives, Tea holding his hand, walked into Skylar's room at the medcenter. Only to find it empty. _Did they send her home and we missed her? But Gabe would have called... Unless..._

Tea looked up at him, his panic mirrored in her little hazel eyes. That was when a nurse, the one who'd helped the Mon Calamari medic insert Sky's feeding tube, walked into the room, "You're looking for Skylar Cordav?"

"Yes, ma'am," Fives answered automatically. "Where is she?"

The dark-skinned woman smiled gently, "She's no longer in critical condition, so we've moved her to another wing. This way, please." Both man and child breathed sighs of relief.

* * *

><p>Skylar listened quietly as Gabe explained all that had happened. She remembered her panic when Fives had been shot and she remembered the fear in his voice when he yelled her name as she fell. She could recall Katarcca lifting her into his hairy arms and then placing her in Fives' lap.<p>

She remembered her heart breaking when she'd heard Fives sobbing and how she'd tried to speak to soothe him. She vividly recalled her panic when she'd been unable to make her body respond. The longing in Fives' voice as he pleaded for her hang on. The ARC Trooper had told her that her daughter and her brothers needed her, but he had said nothing about himself. That was okay, though. The agony in his voice had been enough to let her know how he felt.

What she didn't remember was her lungs quitting on her. Or the insertion of the tube in her throat. She must have completely blacked out then. _Good thing too. Just having that _di'kutla_ thing removed hurt like crazy._ She shuddered as she thought of how much pain she would have been in if she _had_ been aware when the medic had inserted it.

Gabe stopped in his tracks and gave her a concerned look, "Are you okay? You're not cold, are you?"

Cordav rolled her brown eyes, "No, I'm fine. I was just thinking about that _osikla_ tube. How long was I out, anyway?"

"Just a few days. But long enough for you to put us through _haran_ and back. I've never seen Fives so lost."

She winced and Gabe tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, "You really shouldn't leave him hanging like this, _S'ika_. It's not fair to him, or to you."

"Trust me," she said firmly, her face pained. "I know. But you also know that if we were to be in a... a relationship, that I might lose him forever if we get found out, Gabriel." Cordav was the only one besides Deena who ever used his full name. And only when she was frustrated with him, which rarely happened. _I _really_ don't want to talk about this right now._ "There'll be plenty of time for that after the war."

Gabe glared at her. Just by the look in his eyes, she knew that he was _not_ going to let this go. "Skylar Cordav. You know very well that none of us knows what is going to happen tomorrow. The fact that you're lying there on that bed is proof enough. Don't waste what time you _do_ have. Don't you dare." Then, he winked, "If Deena and I can hide our _marriage_ from the _Jetiise_, then I'm pretty sure you and Fives can hide your feelings for each other. You've done a pretty good job of it so far."

"Good job of what?" Even though the voice was identical to Gabe's, Skylar would know that tone anywhere. She tore her eyes from Gabe and almost forgot to breathe when her gaze met Fives'.

"Mama!" Tea called from the his side and her little girl ran to her. Teanna climbed onto the bed carefully and kissed Skylar on the cheek before hugging her so tightly that Cordav almost found herself gagging.

"_Udesii_, _ad'ika_. Let Mama _breathe_," she admonished breathlessly as both clones chuckled.

Tea buried her little face in Sky's chest, "Love you, Mama."

"I love you too, _T'ika_." She turned her gaze back to Fives, who was still standing in the doorway and watching her intently.

* * *

><p>Fives smiled softly as he watched Skylar hug her daughter. The bed was angled so that the woman was sitting. <em>She's too weak to support herself, then.<em> But that was okay with him. Sky was awake and _alive_. And she was smiling at him. His eyes widened when he realized that she'd _never_ given him this look before. _I wonder..._

He walked closer as the woman talked quietly with her daughter. The younger of the two clones sat in a chair at the bedside, just listening. Grateful that he was getting to hear her voice, no matter how weak and strained it sounded.

Gabe winked at him and gave him a knowing look. _Gabe, I know you and your brothers want me to end up with your sister, but _please_ don't try anything right now. You'll ruin this for the both of us._ If Fives hadn't been watching the hoverchair bound clone, he would have missed the nod that the other man gave his sister.

"_T'ika_, let's go find your Mama and Fives something to eat. They're probably both starving."

The little girl gave her uncle a scared look as she clung tighter to her mother. Skylar chuckled softly as she gently stroked the little Togruta's lekku, "I'll be right here when you get back, _ad'ika_. I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

"I'll keep an eye on her, Squirt. She's safe with me," Fives said as reassuringly as he could.

Tea nodded and finally released her mother. The Tooka doll that Fives had brought back with him clutched tightly in her little hand. "I'll be right back, Mama. Love you."

"Love you too, _ad'ika_."

Gabe patted his sister's hand and joined his niece at the door. As soon as they were out of sight, Fives turned back to Skylar who was watching him just as intently as he'd been watching her just a few minutes ago.

He cleared his throat, completely unsure as to what he should say. He went to reach for her hand, but stopped himself, resting his bigger hand on the bed instead.

She chuckled, "'_Su'cuy gar_' would be a good start, Fives." That broke the ice.

He laughed, "Sorry. We've just been really worried about you."

"We?" She quirked a brow as she asked, a hint of amusement on her face. Skylar surprised him by reaching for his hand. She gripped it tightly and met his eyes before speaking softly, "I'm very sorry I scared you like that, _F'ika_."

He leaned forward, "That doesn't matter any more, Sky. You're here." He froze completely when she released his hand to reach up and stroke his face.

"Even so, I _know_ that you were worried about me. I heard _everything_ you said."

"Everything?"

She nodded. "Mmhmm. Oh, and I did know that it was you, by the way," she smirked as she laid her hand back down. He caught it and started playing with her fingers. He hadn't realized how delicate her hands were until just then.

"What are you thinking, _cyar'ika_?"

_Cyar'ika_. Fives had heard that term before, just never addressed at him. And _never_ coming from Skylar. Gabe and Deena had called each other that a few times. Devrin had even jokingly used the word with Dover, which had earned the blue-haired jokester a hard smack to the head from his hot-tempered brother.

'_Cyar'ika_' meant 'sweetheart.' Gabe had explained that it could be used for just about anything. From a favorite pet to a spouse. And by the way Sky had just used it... _Is this for real?_ Fives looked up, wide-eyed, and met her gaze. There was not even a _hint_ of amusement on her face. She was watching him carefully, trying to gauge his reaction.

And he had _no_ idea how to respond. _I want to, though. But how-?_

"About time you decided to wake up, _ori'vod_," another clone's voice spoke from the doorway, interrupting his thoughts. Fives' shoulders sagged slightly and Skylar smiled sadly at him. He could have sworn that she mouthed 'later' to him.

She smiled brightly at the newcomer. But not with _his_ smile, Fives noted with satisfaction. "Fidget!"

The ARC Trooper reluctantly let go of the woman's hand as the commando walked up to them.

"Hey, sis," the other clone said happily. "You look a _lot_ better."

"Thanks. Where's the rest of Aran?"

"Helping Gabe keep Tea occupied. That girl of yours can talk a mile a minute," he winced. "She was starting to give me a headache."

Skylar rolled her eyes, chuckling, "I don't know why you're complaining, _vod'ika_. You were _exactly_ the same when you were four."

"I beg to differ."

"Differ all you want, it won't change a thing."

Fives just sat back, watching with amusement as the two of them squabbled like little kids.

Part of him, _most_ of him actually, was _very_ upset. _Why did I have to blank out on Sky like that? She probably thinks that I don't want anything to do with her now._

* * *

><p><em>manda = heaven<em>

_di'kutla = stupid_

_osikla = crappy_

_haran = hell_

_ori'vod = big sister_

_Jetiise = Jedi (in the plural)_

_udesii = take it easy_

_ad'ika = little one_

_Su'cuy gar = So you're still alive (traditional Mandalorian greeting)_

_cyar'ika = sweetheart_

_vod'ika = little brother_

_Please R&R._


	39. Grief

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to DarthZ, TheStoopeds182, Janizary, NC Writer, laloga, and ComradeGoonie for reviewing!  
><em>

* * *

><p>Several times since her discharge, Skylar had tried to get Fives alone so that she could talk with him about their feelings for each other. But every time she'd tried, either Tea, Deena, or one of her brothers would unknowingly interrupt. And now, Fives was back on the front lines. And she was still limping on those <em>shabla<em> crutches that her Mon Calamari medic had insisted she use until he himself personally cleared her. Which would be the next day, but she just about had enough of the hateful things. That was the downside of having so many brothers. She'd tried to discreetly quit using the things, but the boys pretty much laid down the law on her. Granted, she'd done the same to her brothers whenever they themselves were injured, but there was a difference. She was the big sister. It was her job to look after them, not the other way around. But, unfortunately, they didn't see it that way.

Cordav, Kot and Tea right behind her, currently was walking as fast as her crutches would allow down the corridor to the meditation chamber that a helpful Padawan had suggested that she should check. In all actuality, the young Padawan had been terrified of her, even though she hadn't threatened him in any way. The only thing she could figure was, since she was wearing a tight black sleeveless shirt with her red commando-issue fatigue pants, that the Jedi youngster had spied the black tattoo on her upper left arm. It was of the traditional Mandalorian symbol. Even after all these years that her people had minded their own business, most of the _aruetiise_ were still scared of Mandos. _Of course, that might have to do with the fact that most of them can't tell the difference between True _Mando'ade_ and the _Kyr'tsad_._

But that wasn't why Skylar was currently heading to an obscure meditation chamber in the Jedi Temple. Where outsiders, like her, were forbidden to go anyway. She wanted to talk with General Kenobi and she was not about to wait. Tea had been put through more than a little girl should ever have to go through. Granted, the deaths of the little Togruta's biological parents and Cordav's own medical condition couldn't be avoided. But a fake death? Even though the Mando woman understood why, it still made sense that Tea should have been told. _It's not like she just calls up General Skywalker to chat with him. _She chuckled to herself. _Come to think of it, she's never even said a _word_ to Skywalker._

She reached her destination and banged on the meditation chamber's door, ignoring Kot's incredulous expression and not even caring if the wrong Jedi was in there. _I could care less even if it's Yoda in there connecting with the fuzziness of the Force._ She'd just limp off and try another room.

The door slid back into its housing and a very surprised General Skywalker stood there, eying her suspiciously. She could tell by the look on his face that he'd been irate only seconds before. _That means that Kenobi's in there too._ Fives had told her that the younger general had not taken well to the deception.

She almost laughed aloud when she caught sight of the older Jedi. _He looks like someone scalped him_. His hair was shorter than Rex's. And he had the beginnings of a beard. _Correction. He looks like a half-dead womp rat._

"_Su'cuy gar_, Skywalker, Kenobi," Skylar said, too amused now to be mad anymore. Mandos weren't concerned with looks, but Skylar figured that having to go around looking like the back end of a bantha when you were a prominent public figure yourself was comeuppance enough.

That, and the way her daughter pulled her hand out of Kot's and literally launched herself at the Jedi Master was enough to completely absolve Cordav's anger. "Obi-Wan!"

Skywalker shook his head and start to walk off, Kenobi's eyes following him morosely. She rolled her own brown eyes and wordlessly turned to follow the younger of the two Jedi. But not before giving Kot a look that meant that she would personally hold him responsible if he let anything happen to his niece. Ever since Cordav's near death experience, Kot had been a lot more open with all of them. Much more so that Skylar finally began to relax. She finally was convinced that he wasn't going to try to kill himself anymore.

_But that's not what I need to focus on right now. Skywalker's obviously got a chip on his shoulder. The last thing we need is a distracted General on the field._ That usually translated into a higher KIA count for the boys. And she just couldn't stand by and let that happen.

"Skywalker! Wait up!" Oh, how she wanted to throw down the crutches so that she could follow the Jedi at her preferred pace. But she was distinctly aware of Kot's eyes still on her. And he was under direct orders from Hew to make sure that she still used the things.

"It's General, Sergeant," the _Jetii_ snapped. He clearly was trying to get away. Which was understandable. He was surrounded by Jedi who could sense his anger. And Jedi were not supposed to get angry. _What a load of _osik_. There's nothing wrong in being angry. _

Skylar rolled her eyes at the correction, "Skywalker, Cordav. Cordav, Skywalker. My people rarely use titles and I'm not about to start following _aruetyc_ ways now. I'll call you 'General' on the battlefield, but not while I'm on leave, okay?"

"What do you want, Cordav?"

"You do realize that being mad at your former Master isn't going to fix the problem, right?"

"Problem? Who said that there was a 'problem?'" He tried, and failed, to look detached as he questioned her.

"I'm not a _di'kut_, so don't treat me like the knuckle-dragging barbarian most of the _Republic_ seems to think I am." That brought him up short. She sighed, "I know you're upset with Kenobi. I can see it on your face, which is pretty easy to read for someone who's spent most of her adult life, since I was eleven, relying on the tiniest of facial expressions to tell her men apart."

He folded his arms and leaned one shoulder against the wall. He began to open his mouth, but she wasn't about to let him start talking.

"You've never served in Special Operations before, Skywalker. I have. I myself have spent days under the impression that several of my brothers were dead because, if they tried to contact me it would jeopardize their mission and their _lives_. This is warfare. You are _going_ to be lied to. Whether you like it or not." _Open mouth, insert foot, Cordav._ _I most definitely am speaking to myself right now._

"Tor Squad saw you in action, and by what Jinx told me, you're one of the best Jedi he's served with. More than trustworthy on the battlefield. This deception was not against you. You were not singled out. Like I said, this is war." He scowled at her and she scowled right back. Completely heedless that he could throw her down the hall without even touching her.

"Get used to it." With that she turned her back on him and limped on her crutches back to where her daughter and her newest brother were standing with General Kenobi. Kot's eyes were fearful. _He's probably thinking that I'm going to get myself court-martialed._ Kenobi gave her a wary glance before turning his focus back to the little Togruta. Tea, though, didn't even seem bothered by the fact that her mother had just given her best friend's friend a proper dressing down. The little girl was too engrossed in talking with her favorite _Jetii_. _Any normal Mando would cut that friendship off immediately. But these two _Jetiise_... They're not exactly what I thought they were. Still self-righteous and not doing enough for the boys, but definitely not as bad a I thought._

"_Kot'ika_, _T'ika_, it's time to go."

"Awww. But Mama-" Tea began to whine, cut off by a sharp look from Skylar.

"No buts, Teanna. My boss, Zey," she added in for the _Jetiise_'s benefit, "is expecting me within the hour. And didn't you promise your Uncle Gabe that you would help him with dinner, _T'ika_?"

"How is Gabe, by the way?" Skywalker asked from behind the woman. Skylar didn't even bat an eye, she'd been expecting him to follow her.

She turned her head towards him, "He's alright. Still adjusting. I don't think he'll ever really get used to civvie life, though. Now, if you'll excuse us, sirs, we really do have to go."

By some wonder, Tea actually fell asleep on the speeder ride back to the apartment. Kot, who was piloting, gave a sideways glance at Cordav a few minutes after the little girl's eyes closed. "Was that really necessary, Skylar? You keep this up and you'll be court-martialed for sure." There was just a hint of concern in his voice. He was worried about her, but was trying not to show it. Yes, the troubled clone had opened up, but he apparently still had a long way to go.

She patted his arm affectionately, noting with some sadness at how he jumped slightly at the unexpected contact. "Yes it was. A distracted officer can get good men killed for no reason at all. And I highly doubt that Skywalker or Kenobi would court-martial me. Now, if it had been Windu on the other hand..."

He huffed slightly, "What I don't understand is why you keep sticking your neck out on the chopping block for us. I would think almost losing your life once was enough."

"What do you mean? _Kot'ika_, you boys are my brothers. You guys, Teanna, Deena, and Briika are the only family I've got. You _know_ that." _He's been stewing again._

"That, I know. But there are other ways of helping us without putting your life on the line."

"Less effective ways. I can do a better job of protecting you boys where I'm at right now."

"Has it ever occurred to you that we might not need your protection?" That stung. Skylar winced and clenched her fists. _Oh, that more than stung. Definitely more than stung._ She fervently wished that Fives was with her then. That they'd already talked and that she could find comfort in his arms.

And Kot seemed completely unaware of how much he'd hurt her with that statement. "If you get killed trying to protect men who can fight for themselves, who's going to look out for Tea?"

"Gabe and Deea-" She started up, but he kept on going.

"And who am I going to talk if I ever get the urge to do myself in again?" He kept his focus on the sky ahead of him, deliberately not looking her way.

Which was just as well. Cordav looked at him with wide eyes, expression aghast, "You're still not-"

"Of course not," he snapped. "I was just pointing out-"

"I love you too, _vod'ika_." That stopped him. "_That's_ why I can't stand by while you fight. You boys are more than just my family. For the longest time, since my _Buir_ died and before Deena, Briika, and Tea, you guys were my _reason_ for living. My _only_ reason. I _cannot_ stand by and idly watch while you and your brothers get killed. And, if I hadn't been on active duty during the Kadavo mission, you wouldn't be here today, _Kot'ika_." _That's hitting below the belt. But he _needs_ to understand._ "And you're my family just as much as Tea is. Don't you ever think differently."

She was surprised when a single tear ran down his cheek. But he said nothing for several minutes. He finally parked the speeder on Deena's landing platform before his expression turned pained and he finally responded, "That's just it, Skylar. I failed my brothers. I don't deserve for you to care this much for me. Much less put your _life_ on the line for _me_."

Skylar wiped another one of his tears away before turning his face toward her, making him meet her eyes, "That's the good thing about love, _Kot'ika_. It can't be earned. It can only be given. And you didn't fail your brothers. What ever made you think like that, _vod'ika_?"

He lowered his eyes to the ground and she removed her hands from his face as she waited patiently. She was going to be late to Zey's briefing and Maze wasn't going to be happy about it, but Kot's peace of mind was more important to her.

Said clone began talking, his voice at a whisper, "The last battle my squadron and I fought together in... well, I fell behind. I was surrounded by droids. I kept telling them to leave me, but they wouldn't hear it. Every single one except for Watt was killed instantly. If I had just paid attention and not let myself get distracted... They'd still be here." _Survivor's guilt. _That's_ why he's so depressed._

But her brother wasn't finished, "I knew Watt didn't have much longer. I stayed with him, held his hand, talked with him until we were evacuated. I even followed him into the med bay. But I wasn't there. Not in my mind at least. I talked and acted as if I knew him, but in my mind, I pretended that I _barely_ knew him. That I'd never met him before," his voice broke and she scooted closer to wrap an arm around his shoulders. He paused long enough to gain control over himself, "It was less painful that way. At least, until he was gone. As soon as I realized what I'd been doing, I just couldn't live with myself. And, even though I now know better than to resort to suicide, I still can't live with myself." That was when he finally broke down.

Cordav wrapped both arms around him and just held him. This wasn't the first time that she'd seen one of her brothers reduced to tears. _And it most definitely won't be the last._

"_Udesii_, Kot. It's okay. You're okay. I know it hurts. You'll be okay. It's okay," she murmured as he sobbed.

_This is all the Republic's fault. If it weren't for them and their _shabla_ war, Kot wouldn't have to go through this. None of us would have._

Skylar felt herself tearing up as she rubbed his back, "There's nothing to feel guilty about, _Kot'ika_. Your brothers _wanted_ you to survive. They _loved_ you as much as I do. And you loved them. It's okay to grieve. Shhh, it's okay."

* * *

><p><em>shabla = cursed<em>

_Mando'ade = Mandalorians_

_Kyr'tsad = Death Watch_

_Su'cuy gar = So you're still alive (traditional Mandalorian greeting)_

_Jetii = Jedi (in the singular)_

_osik = crap_

_aruetyc = foreigner, non-Mando (adjective form)_

_di'kut = idiot_

_Jetiise = Jedi (in the plural)_

_vod'ika = little brother_

_buir = papa_

_udesii = take it easy_

_Please R&R._


	40. Interrogation

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to The Stoopeds182, Janizary, laloga, and NC Writer for reviewing!  
><em>

* * *

><p>"You cannot be <em>serious<em>." Cordav gave Zey an incredulous look.

"I assure you that I am being _very_ serious, Skylar," the Jedi responded.

"Let me get this straight. You want _me_ to interrogate Cad Bane? First of all, you _know_ that I'm no mind reader and I _don't_ resort to torture. You're better off asking Walon." That and she would have preferred not meeting with the bounty hunter while he was a prisoner for the _Tsad Droten_ that she happened to be working for. To be honest, Skylar didn't want to lose the Duros' respect, if she still had it. In his own way, Cad had been a teacher to her when she was young. Yes, he killed clones and if he wasn't currently a prisoner of her client she would definitely have given him a piece of her mind.

Still, Cad was a connection to her past. A past in which her father had been alive. That was the other reason why she didn't want to be the one interrogating him. Too many memories that were now almost too painful.

"Sergeant Vau is not aquainted with Bane. And-"

"And I am," she interrupted, getting another disapproving glance from Maze. Which she just returned. After her near death experience, the stiff-necked Captain seemed a little more tolerant of her. _Usually, he'd be threatening to court-martial me about now._ _I guess he's not completely the iceburg on legs that everyone thinks he is._

Zey nodded his head. He didn't even acknowledge the fact that she'd interrupted him. _Again_. Probably because Skirata and Vau had been giving him more trouble the past couple of months. _Kal's got something going on. He's planning something big._ Knowing the older Mando, it had something to do with the clones. And, even though Delta had been the ones to bring in Ko Sai's head almost a year ago, Cordav had a sneaking suspicion that Skirata had something to do with the Kaminoan scientist's death. Ko Sai had been the top mind of Kamino. She was the one who'd engineered the clones' aging process. _Most definitely someone that Kal would want a _little_ chat with._ Cordav would have wanted to talk with the aiwha-bait too, but both Skirata and Vau were keeping her out of the loop. Kal had claimed that it was for her own safety and that even some of his own boys had _no_ idea what was going on.

Skylar had tried talking with Mereel about it. But the usually talkative Null had clammed up. Which meant that her guesses had been close to the mark. All six of the Nulls were excellent actors and usually didn't give things away like that, but Mereel had something of a soft-spot for her. Not a crush or anything like that, though.

_Back to business._ It had been two weeks since she'd dragged Kot with her and Tea to the Jedi Temple to confront Kenobi and Skywalker. Fives was due back the next day and she was finally free of those _osikla_ crutches. _I don't know who's more excited about _F'ika_ coming back. Tea or me._ She'd talked with the ARC whenever he had called to talk to her daughter, but she hadn't called him '_cyar'ika_' again. _That_ conversation was best done face to face.

She almost shook her head to clear her thoughts. The longer that Fives was away, the more she thought of him. _Focus, Cordav._

"Skylar?"

"Sorry, sir," she apologized. "You were saying?"

Zey cleared his throat, "I was saying that since you have a history with Bane then he might be willing to give you the information that we need."

She snorted, "Cad's not a sentimental softie. Just because he _might_ still respect me, doesn't mean that he's going to tell me his former employer's life story. Even _if_ he knows anything at all."

"What do you mean?" Zey asked. Maze was keeping quiet, monitoring the discussion with his helmeted head down. Which meant that he was also listening to voice traffic.

"A lot of bounty hunters know next to nothing about their clients, Zey. People who hire bounty hunters tend to be good for nothing criminals who sometimes have prices on their heads themselves. Even though Cad's good enough to know who he's working for, I doubt he knows where that Seppie is holed up."

"Even so, Sergeant. You'll never know until you try."

"Wasn't it Yoda who said that there's no such thing as 'try?'"

A few hours later and she was again approaching the Republic prison that she and Fives had investigated when almost everyone had been under the impression that Kenobi was dead. But, now that she knew that the bearded Jedi had actually been masquerading as Rako Hardeen, the unexplained untampered-with-and-open lock made sense now. Cad was probably still stewing over the whole deception, knowing him. _Kenobi had better learn to sleep with both eyes open. And soon._ The Duros was well known for being an escape artist and Skylar was actually surprised that he'd been incarcerated this long.

A familiar clone met her on the landing pad. She slid off the speeder bike before saluting him properly. He returned the salute without hesitation this time and she removed her _buy'ce_, clipping it to her belt.

"Good to see you again, Lieutenant Lyle. How have you been?" She grinned at him.

"I'm doing alright, Sergeant. Glad to see that you're still among the living."

She winced, "I guess there's no secrets among us soldiers, huh, sir?"

He chuckled, "Just Lyle, Sergeant."

"Skylar."

He nodded his head and, even though he was still wearing his bucket, she could have sworn that he was smiling. _He's a good soldier. I'll definitely have to keep tabs on him._

Half an hour later and Lyle had led her to an interrogation room. He'd offered to stand guard outside, but she'd refused. If Cad still respected her, then fine. If he didn't, then she could take care of herself.

The door slid back into its housing and Skylar rolled her eyes and shook her head. Bane was sitting in much the same position that he'd been when her father had first approached him all those years ago. Slightly slouched in the chair with his arms folded across his chest. Head tilted just so that if he'd been wearing a hat, it would have covered half of his face. She doubted he was even aware of that, though. Her father had told her that old habits die hard.

"You're still playing that flute, I see," the Duros broke the silence. He was eying her warily.

She slid the empty chair back and turned it around, sitting in it backwards and resting her arms on the back. "You still taking a fancy to big hats?"

One of Bane's eye ridges rose and he smirked, "I take it that you're not here to spring me, then."

"You guessed right." She leaned forward, "I'm actually here for some information, Cad."

"It's gonna cost ya." The smirk disappeared and he simply gazed at her. Daring her to challenge him.

"You do owe me that one favor."

"Like I said, it's gonna cost ya. Double my rate now."

She glared at him, brown eyes hardening, "My Papa saved your life. The least you could do is give me what I'm asking for."

"That's not the same thing, Skylar. A life for a life. Trade's gotta be equal." He'd barely moved since she'd entered. "Now, if you've got some information you'd like to share with me..."

"Not a chance, Cad."

"Then we don't have a deal. Pleasure doing business with ya and you can find your own way out."

"Look after yourself, Cad." She got up to leave, but turned around to face him again as soon as she was outside of the room. "One more thing. No more killing clones. Stun them, if you have to. But if I find out that you've injured even one of them..." she trailed off threateningly as the door closed between them.

So engrossed was Skylar in her memories of the hunt on Taris that she didn't even notice that Lyle was standing there until he put his hands on her shoulders to keep her from running into him. He'd stood guard even though she'd asked him not to. Normally that kind of thing would piss her off, but, at the moment, she was grateful that he was there. Cordav didn't want to be alone with her thoughts.

"You have a history with Bane," he eyed her curiously, his helmet clipped to his belt as well.

She shrugged, "One of the first hunts my father took me on. I was nine and we were tracking a serial killer on Taris. We kind of stumbled across Cad in a tavern and _Buir_ took a liking to him. We ended up working together for both of our hunts."

"_Buir_?"

"Sorry, Lyle. I keep forgetting that you troopers don't know much _Mando'a_. _Buir_ means 'papa.'"

"Ah. And your father saved his life? How?"

She winced, "Lyle, can we talk about something else, please? This is painful enough for me as it is." She almost replaced her helmet, but that would be tantamount to running away. She needed to face this, even if she wasn't willing to talk about it.

He seemed genuinely mortified that he'd upset her, "My apologies, Skylar."

"It's okay, it's not your fault. It's been almost six years since my father passed away. I've never really gotten over it."

He was quiet for a moment, contemplative. "Well, you never really get over losing your family. I've lost several brothers myself."

He was trying to comfort her. Usually, it was the other way around and Skylar couldn't help a small chuckle. He raised his eyebrows in question.

"Sorry, Lyle. Usually, I'm the one saying that kind of thing to the men I serve with. It's kind of refreshing to be the comfortee instead of the comforter for once."

They walked in silence until they reached the landing pad. The lieutenant seemed to be chewing over what she had said. As soon as they reached her speeder bike, she turned and gripped his forearm Mando-style, "Take care of yourself, _vod'ika_." Judging by his grin, he knew enough _Mando'a_ to know that she'd just called him 'little brother.'

"You too, Sergeant. Stay away from the Underworld, alright?"

She rolled her eyes before she replaced her helmet, "I'll do my best. No promises, though."

* * *

><p>Mama got home just in time. Uncle Gabe and Aunt Deena were planning on going out and Tea was looking forward to spending time alone with her mother. A soft cooing coming from the baby in her aunt's arms reminded her that Briika would be with them too. <em>But she'll probably be sleeping most of the time.<em> Her cousin was almost two months old but she still slept _alot_.

"Something on your mind, _ori'vod_?" Uncle Gabe asked Mama. The brown-haired woman didn't even ack... acknowl... Tea shook her head. Mama didn't even look like she'd heard the question.

"Earth to Sky," her hoverchair bound uncle said with a smirk as he snapped his fingers in front of the woman's face.

Mama shook her head, "Sorry _Gab'ika_. I had to interrogate Cad today."

"Who's Cad, Mama?" Tea had heard the name before, but she had no idea who they were talking about.

"Cad Bane. He's a bounty hunter that my daddy and I worked with once."

The little Togruta cocked her head. Mama had sounded a little sad. Which got Tea to thinking. _Maybe Mama lost her daddy like I lost mine. And that's why she's never told me about him._ "What was your daddy like, Mama?"

Her mother winced. She crouched in front of the little girl, "He was the best father I could ever ask for, Tea. Maybe someday I'll tell you about him, but not right now, okay?"

"You miss him?"

Mama nodded, "Mmmhmm. Just as much as you miss your mommy and daddy."

"You sure you'll be fine tonight, Skylar?" Aunt Deena asked, her face a little worried as she lightly bounced Briika. "We don't have to go tonight. We can stay if you want us to."

"We'll be fine, Deena," Mama said as she took Briika into her arms. "Once Briika's in bed, I think Tea and I will work on replenishing the extra field rations."

"Good idea," her uncle spoke up. "I noticed that they were getting low."

"Field rations? I thought General Zey took care of that, Mama. How are we going to rep... replen..." Tea shook her head again, this time stamping her foot too.

Her mother laughed. "Different kind of field rations, _ad'ika_. And we're going to re-ple-nish," she sounded the word out for Tea, "them by cooking more."

Mama still looked upset, but Tea doubted that it would last for long. She had just talked with Fives before her mother got home and he'd told her that he was coming home tonight instead of tomorrow. _Mama will be _very_ happy to see him._ Somehow the little girl, her aunt, and her uncle had managed to talk the ARC Trooper into keeping his return a surprise from her mother. Which was why Aunt Deena and Unlce Gabe had suddenly decided to go out. _And all I have to do is figure out how to talk Mama into letting me stay up until Fives gets here. Without telling her that he's coming, of course. This is gonna be harder than I thought._

The only thing that kept her from telling her mother about Fives' return was her hope that Mama would kiss him.

* * *

><p><em>Is Tea right? Will Skylar finally talk with Fives? Will she kiss him? What do you think?<em>

_Tsad Droten = Republic_

_osikla = crappy_

_cyar'ika = sweetheart_

_buy'ce = helmet_

_buir = papa_

_vod'ika = little brother_

_Mando'a = the Mandalorian language_

_ori'vod = big sister_

_ad'ika = little one_

_Please R&R._


	41. Darasuum

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to Depthcharge2030, TheStoopeds182, NC Writer, DarthZ, ComradeGoonie, Sophia Gray, Captain Rover, Janizary, and laloga for reviewing!_

_You guys are beyond awesome!_

* * *

><p>Fives knew <em>exactly<em> why Gabe, Deena, and Tea had told him not to tell Skylar that he was already on Coruscant. It was a setup. Which only made the ARC Trooper uneasy. He and Sky would be completely alone, if one didn't count the two little girls. Somehow, he doubted that Tea would be sleeping anytime soon. _She's got her heart set on her mother and me getting together. I want it too, but that's up to Sky._ He knew that if he pushed the matter, he'd only make it worse for Sky. _Which would push her farther away than she already is._

He tried thinking of something else to calm himself. Like how he'd come to view Deena's apartment as home. He knew the reasons why too. Gabe and Deena with their little girl, his niece, lived there. Tea too. Several brothers spent most of their down time there. And... so did Sky. _No matter how hard I try, I just can't stop thinking about her._ What made it worse was the fact that the only brothers he could talk to about his feelings for the Mando woman were light-years away, except for Gabe. Hew and Jinx were with their respective squads on two different missions. And Fidget was with the rest of Aran performing guard duty for some obscure Senator that had gotten a few death threats. And, since Fives himself had been surrounded by brothers for the past two weeks, he hadn't been able to call any one of them. Just the quick calls he'd made to Tea and Skylar to let them know that he was okay and that he'd see them soon had been pushing it.

Sky herself had seemed pretty reserved since Fidget had walked in on them that day in the medcenter. _She hasn't called me '_cyar'ika_' again. Maybe she's given up._ He felt his chest tighten at the thought and he mentally shied away from that particular line of thinking. _I hope she hasn't. Maybe-"_

"Fives!" Maze was calling him. And the Alpha ARC Trooper Captain did _not_ look happy. 'Course, he hardly ever looked happy. But now, he was _irate_. He must have called the younger ARC's name several times already.

"Sorry sir."

"General Zey has been waiting the past quarter hour for you. Get your backside to his office. _Now_."

"Sir, yes sir!" Fives saluted and all but ran in the direction of the Jedi's office, _very_ aware that Jesse was laughing at his retreating form. The bald clone had noticed that something was up with Fives, to the point that he'd even questioned him about it. Thankfully, the ARC had managed to evade the questions. _But if I don't get my act together soon, it won't be long before every single one of my brothers figures out that I've got a... crush on someone._ Crush wasn't exactly the right word for what he felt for Cordav. He was under the impression that what he was feeling was something more than a crush. Of course, he couldn't know for sure. His limited knowledge of relationships mostly came from holodramas and from watching Gabe and Deena a little.

Fives spent the next three hours debriefing on every single part of every mission he'd been on for the past two weeks. Every minute detail that didn't matter to him anymore. It was a wonder he even managed to get everything right. His mind was on the fact that he was only half an hour away from Deena's apartment. And from a certain little Togruta and her beautiful mother. He clenched his left fist discreetly, trying to make himself focus. _The last thing I need is for General Zey to pick up on what I'm feeling._

_Beautiful._ He couldn't help but notice that that was the first time he'd thought of Skylar like that. But she was beautiful to him. Extremely. She was also caring and gentle. And tough too. And... _Focus, Fives!_

"Are you alright, Fives?" The Jedi asked with concern. So he'd noticed that the clone's mind wasn't on the debriefing.

_Wonderful. _Osik_! What do I tell him?_ "I'm fine, sir. Just tired." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. Yes, he was tired. But, he also wanted to get out of Arca Barracks as fast as he could. He wanted to see... _There I go again!_

Zey smiled reassuringly, apparently appeased, "I understand. We're finished here. You're dismissed. And get some rest, alright?"

"Yes sir," Fives stood and saluted gratefully. He forced himself to walk at a steady pace out of the office and down the hall. He gave Maze a respectful salute as he passed him. Once again, the ARC Captain was carrying two cups of caf, but Fives hardly noticed.

He started feeling jittery when he commandeered one of the Barracks speeder bikes and began the short trip to the apartment. By the time he'd reached the landing platform, his uneasiness was back in full swing. Both Tea and Briika should be asleep by now and Skylar would be up alone. He removed his helmet and clipped it to his belt as he hesitated in the hallway outside the door to the apartment, unsure. _This will either be the best night of my life or the worst. What will Sky say when I walk in there?_ _I hope she won't be upset with me._

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and was assaulted by some strong smells. Whatever it was, it smelled similar to Deena's cooking. _What is Deena doing here? I thought she and Gabe were going out?_

"_Gab'ika_? Deena? Is that you?" Skylar's voice called warily from the kitchen. She then walked around the corner into the main room without her crutches. As soon as she saw him, she stopped dead, eyes wide.

Fives smiled sheepishly, "Um... Surprise?"

Sky flew at him, nearly crushing the breath out of him as she hugged him. Which was no mean feat since he was still completely armored and she was wearing a sleeveless top and her fatigue pants. He was so taken by surprise that it was several seconds before he wrapped his arms around her.

"What are you doing back so soon, _F'ika_?" she asked, pulling away to get a good look at him. _Checking me for injuries, no doubt._

"The last mission was shorter than we expected," he stated simply. He really couldn't think of anything else to say. Her exuberant greeting had completely shocked him. He hadn't been expecting it. _C'mon, Fives. You can do better than this. This is Skylar, for crying out loud!_

"Thank the _manda_ for that, then," she said as she reached up to ruffle his hair. "I'm really glad you're back, _F'ika_. I've missed you."

"I..." He cleared his throat. _What are you waiting for? Now, you _di'kut_!_ "I missed you too. How's the leg?" _Very romantic, Fives. You're really going to sweep her off her feet at the way you're going._ This just wasn't working out the way he'd tried to plan it.

"Good as new." Her answering smile was bright. "Back to kicking shinies around too."

Fives chuckled, "Bet you're liking that." He shifted nervously.

Skylar rolled her eyes, "Why don't you go take a shower, _F'ika_. Should help you unwind. Then you can finish helping me."

"Help you do what?"

She winked, "You'll just have to wait to find out. Now go," she finished as she pushed him toward the stairs.

As soon as he was out of her sight, he wanted to smack himself. _The smells. She's cooking. Could I be even more of an idiot?_ Fives shook his head. _Oh well._

The ARC took the fastest shower that he'd ever had. He was so intent on making it back to the kitchen, and to Sky, that he didn't see Teanna until he almost tripped over her.

"Squirt, what are you still doing up?" He knew why, of course, but that question was the first thing to pop into his head.

"Have you kissed Mama yet?"

His face heated up again and he rolled his eyes, "No, Tea. Go back to bed."

"But I wanna see," she almost whined. That was it.

He smirked at her before picking her up, carrying her fireman style. She squealed as he plopped her onto her bed and mercilessly began tickling her. "Help, help!"

Skylar's laugh from the doorway was almost enough to make him pause. Almost.

"That's enough you two," Sky admonished firmly. But there was just a hint of amusement in her voice. "Let Tea breathe, _F'ika_."

Fives sat on the edge of the bed, hands obediently in his lap as Tea panted. _Hamming it up, no doubt._ He smiled innocently at the little girl's mother and the woman returned the look with a mocking glare.

She folded her arms, trying, and failing, to keep from smirking. "Now, what in the _manda_ is going on here?"

"Fives attacked me for no reason, Mama!" Tea finally spoke, still a little breathless. Her expression was _too_ innocent.

"Uh huh. And what _exactly_ did you do that caused him to 'attack' you?" _She's trying not to laugh._ Fives smirked and Skylar grinned for a quick second, obviously wrestling to compose her expression.

"Nothing, Mama. I just asked a question," the little Togruta answered indignantly. "It wasn't anything bad."

"But it was still none of your business, Squirt," Fives scolded her. "What you asked is none of your concern, Tea, and you know that."

"Fives is right, _ad'ika_." The ARC Trooper stood as the woman entered the room. Skylar knelt by her daughter's bed to kiss the white diamond mark on the little girl's forehead before tucking Tea in. "And you should have been asleep _hours_ ago."

"But, Mama-"

"No buts. Go to sleep. Tomorrow, you're starting your training."

"Really?" Tea sounded _very_ excited. Fives almost groaned. _I'm never going to be able to talk with Sky at this rate._

"Really. But I can't train you if you're half asleep, _T'ika_. _Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum_."

"I love you too, Mama."

Sky nodded once and headed out the door, Fives behind her. Once the door closed, she turned back to him. "Let me guess. She asked if we'd kissed yet, huh?"

He chuckled nervously, "Uh... Yeah. I shouldn't have riled her up like that. Sorry, Sky."

"Nothing to apologize for, _cyar'ika_. In fact, you were _ori'jate_ with her."

He froze. _Cyar'ika_. _She called me 'sweetheart' again._ Skylar hadn't given up. He felt his body flooding with relief at that thought. And he could finally begin to relax.

"Earth to _F'ika_," the woman said teasingly. With a jolt, he focused back on her, "What are you thinking about, Fives?" That was almost the same question she'd asked him back in the medcenter right after the first time that she'd called him '_cyar'ika_.'

"What are we cooking? Not more _tingilaar_, I hope?" He'd been wanting to admit how beautiful she looked to him, but that seemed to be stuck in his throat. Instead, he'd asked about cooking. _Cooking. Why is this so hard?_

She chuckled, "Definitely not. Your expression was hilarious, by the way." He glared and she laughed. "Sorry, _F'ika_. But it's the truth."

They'd reached the kitchen by that time and she pulled a small piece of something out of a bowl. Something that looked like some kind of jerky. "You've got to try this."

He eyed her warily, "It doesn't have _hetikles_ in it, does it?"

Her face lit up with approval, "_Ori'jate_, Fives. You remembered. And no, it doesn't. Just try it, okay?"

He gave her another suspicious glance but allowed her to plop the bit of jerky in his mouth. The flavor was just a little too strong, but he found that he liked it. "It tastes sort of like fish."

"It's _gihaal_."

"Fishmeal? I thought that was just what you called the Kaminoans?"

She smiled again. "You're catching _Mando'a_ pretty quick, _F'ika_." She reached to the plate beside the bowl and picked up what appeared to be a small stick of rolled up bread and offered it to him, "Get yourself some water and soak that _haarsuun_ for a minute before you try biting into it."

He nodded. As he poured water for both of them she answered his question, "Actually, we nicknamed the _kaminiise_ after the _gihaal_. Kal started it."

"Sergeant Skirata?" He asked as he handed her a glass.

"_Eleck_. I mean, yes." She took a sip, "It started when he threatened to make tatsushi out of a few of them. Brandt was the one who connected the two."

"Brandt? Is he one of your brothers too?"

As soon as he asked the question, he instantly regretted it. Her expression turned somber, "Was. His squad was killed shortly after Geonosis."

"I'm sorry, Sky. I shouldn't have brought it up."

She moved so that she was standing right next to him, setting her cup down as she leaned into him. He put his own glass down and wrapped an arm around her shoulders automatically.

"It's okay, _F'ika_. I don't mind. It's just been one of those _aay'haan_ days today."

"_Aay'haan_?"

"The closest _aruetiise_ can come to the concept is 'bittersweet.' Pretty much it means remembering the loved ones you lost while spending time with the loved ones that are still with you. Like I'm doing right now."

Fives was about to ask who else Sky was thinking about when the gravity of what she had just said finally struck him. _Spending time with loved ones... Is she saying...?_ He gave her a questioning gaze and she smiled softly at him. The same gentle look she'd given when she'd first called him '_cyar'ika_. It was the kind of look that left him nearly breathless.

She reached up and stroked his face, "_Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum_, _cyar'ika_."

"Did you just say that you love me?" _This is definitely more than I expected. But it feels..._ He had no words for the things he was feeling right then.

She pulled her arm back and hugged herself. He didn't know why she'd withdrawn like that so suddenly. But, before he could ask, she spoke up.

"_Eleck_. But if you don't feel the same way, I understand. I c-can back off if you want me to." _She thinks that I don't care about her like that anymore._ The quiver in her voice told him that she was hoping that he wouldn't comfirm her suspicions. This was the first time that he'd seen her so fragile.

Gently, in much the same way Deena had with him back at the medcenter, he grasped Skylar's chin in his big hand. _I hadn't realized how small she is._ He'd always seen the tough warrior side of her that he never really paid much attention to her actual size. Now, with her trembling against him, it was very apparent. "Skylar, I... I love you too."

Slowly, completely unsure of herself and his reaction, the woman moved until she was in front of him and wrapped both arms around his neck. With one hand, she pushed on the back of his head, making him come down to her level. She hesitatingly brought her face closer to his. He almost couldn't breathe.

And then both of their personal comlinks went off.

* * *

><p><em>osik = crap<em>

_manda = heaven_

_di'kut = idiot, moron_

_ad'ika = little one_

_Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum = I love you (literally: I know you forever)_

_cyar'ika = sweetheart_

_ori'jate = very good_

_tingilaar = Mando dish that is very heavy on the spices_

_hetickles = spices (the good kind)_

_gihaal = fishmeal_

_haarsuun = very hard Mando hardtack (both gihaal and haarsuun are used as dry rations)_

_kaminiise = Kaminoans_

_eleck = yes_

_aay'haan = bittersweet_

_Please R&R._

_Please don't kill me! Eeep!_


	42. Gone

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to TheStoopeds182, Depthcharge2030, Sophia Gray, Janizary, laloga, DarthZ, and ComradeGoonie for reviewing!  
><em>

* * *

><p>Cordav groaned when both comlinks went off. Not wanting to let the moment pass, she quickly pressed her lips against Fives', giving him a <em>much<em> shorter kiss than she'd wanted to. Quickly, she pulled away and plucked her comlink off her belt. Fives, just a little dazed, followed suit a second after.

"Sergeant Cordav here."

"_S'ika_." It was Jinx, and he sounded _horrible_. She heard Fives saying Quirk's name. _What are those two boys doing calling us at the same time? Judging from the sound of Jinx's voice, something _really_ bad happened._

She gasped when a horrible thought struck her, "_J'ika_, are you guys okay? Are Dover and Devrin alright?"

"So, Fives is with you then?" He didn't answer her question, but his voice broke. _Something really is wrong._ Dread filled her at the thought.

"Yes, he just got back. Jinx, what is going on? Did something happen to Dov and Dev?"

Silence. Sky knew that the link hadn't been cut off because she could still hear Jinx's breathing. He was working himself up to tell her something horrible. He'd done the exact same thing when he'd called to tell her that he'd lost his squad on Geonosis.

So intent was she on her brother that she almost jumped when Fives' hand squeezed her shoulder gently. She turned to look at him. Dover must have shut off his link, 'cause the ARC's comlink was again clipped to his belt. She mouthed a question to him, asking him if he knew what in the _manda_ was going on. He shook his and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to him. _What would I do without you_, F'ika_?_

Jinx cleared his throat, "Sky... Dover's okay. But..." she stiffened when Jinx trailed off. Jinx hadn't mentioned Devrin yet. _Oh no. Please no. Please let Dev be okay. Say that he's just injured. _Gedet'ye_. Please don't let him be-_

"_Ori'vod_, Devrin's dead," Jinx finally said, his voice sounding hollow. If Five's hadn't been holding Skylar securely to his side she _knew_ that she would have fallen to the floor. As it was, she sagged against him.

"When? What happened?" Those were the only questions should could get past the lump in her throat. _I've got to hold myself together. Jinx _needs_ me to be strong right now. I've got to be strong. Just get through this conversation and then you can go ballistic, Cordav._

"Just a few minutes ago. Dover's surprised that he held on for as long as he did." Jinx's voice still sounded dead. _He's probably thinking that he failed Dev._

When the red-haired clone spoke again, his voice was shaky, "Sky, we were home free. We were _almost_ at the ship. Dev was the last one and then that explosion... _S'ika_, I should have made him take the point. _I_ should have been last," his voice broke again and it sounded like he was trying to hold in tears.

Skylar wanted to cry herself, but she knew that she couldn't, "Listen to me, Jinx. This was _not_ your fault. Don't you dare blame yourself, do you understand me? When will you boys be back on Triple Zero?"

"Two days. We're stopping at a checkpoint to get some maintenance done on our hyperdrive."

She took a deep breath, "Okay. Okay, _vod'ika_. _Udesii_. I'll be at the barracks waiting for you boys, alright?"

"Okay. Love you, sis."

"Love you too. Tell Dover and Quirk that I love 'em."

"Okay," and the line went dead.

Cordav didn't even try to clip her comlink to her belt. She just dropped it as she turned and buried her face in Five's strong chest, sobbing. She must have caught him by surprise because it took him a few minutes to wrap his other arm around her. He didn't say anything, he just let her cry. Even if he had asked what was going on, she doubted that she could have answered him right then. She was too distraught.

She'd been there when Tor Squad had shipped out for what would become Devrin's last mission, though none of them had known it at the time. She remembered at how goofy the blue-haired man had been and how exasperated everyone had been getting with him. She remembered smacking him upside the head before she kissed him on the cheek, telling him firmly that he'd better be careful. His answering smile...

She sobbed harder.

"_Udesii_, Sky," Fives whispered as he rubbed her back. "It'll be okay, sweetheart. It'll be okay."

She pulled back just far enough so that she could look him the eye, "No, it _won't_, _F'ika_. Devrin's... Dev's dead!"

That completely shocked him. His brown eyes went wide and he just stood there, frozen. She could clearly see what was going through his mind. The same thing that was going through hers. _Not this. _Anything_, but this._

"Mama, Fives, what's wrong?" Tea's little voice asked from the doorway." Both man and woman looked at the little girl. "Mama, why are you crying? What's wrong?"

Skylar kissed Fives on the cheek before pulling away to gather her little girl into her arms, "_Ad'ika_, Uncle Jinx just called me. He had some very bad news."

"Is he okay, Mama?" Tea sounded scared.

Fives rubbed her back, "He'll be fine. But your Uncle Devrin's gone, Squirt. He's not coming back."

"Where did he go?"

Cordav almost started crying again at her daughter's innocent question. She sent Fives a pained look before returning her focus back to her child, "Tea, he didn't go anywhere."

Teanna was very still for a second. "No! No, he's not dead!" She squirmed so hard that Cordav almost dropped her. Skylar barely managed to set her on the floor. "That's a lie! He's coming home, he promised!" With that, she tore out of the kitchen and up the stairs, crying. Fives and Skylar right behind her.

But before either adult could follow the little girl into her room, Briika started crying. Cordav paused in the hallway, glancing between her daughter's room and her niece's.

Fives squeezed her shoulder, "I'll get the baby, Sky. Take care of Tea," he finished solemnly.

She nodded, then entered Teanna's room. Her heart broke at the sight of her daughter curled up with her Tooka doll and a flatpix. A flatpix of her and her Uncle Devrin. The woman sat on Tea's bed and pulled the little girl into her arms, cradling her as they both cried.

* * *

><p>When both of their comlinks had gone off, Fives had fully been expecting Skylar to pull away. He hadn't been expecting her to press her lips against his first.<p>

But that wasn't important right then. As he walked to his niece's crib, he still couldn't believe that Devrin was dead. What had shocked him the most hadn't been Sky's reaction, but little Tea's. Skylar's daughter had been beyond distraught. Which was what had woken Briika.

Even though it had been two weeks since he'd last held the baby, he still picked her up with ease. _I guess it's just one of those things that you don't forget easily._ Briika refused to quiet, even though he was holding her close to him just like Deena had taught him. He tried bouncing, which made him feel stupid. But it seemed to be working. _Tea's yelling must have scared her._

"It's okay, Briika. Uncle Fives has got you. You're okay, kid."

"You didn't pinch her, did you, Fives?" Gabe's joking voice came from the doorway. Fives hadn't even heard his brother or his sister-in-law come in.

He rolled his eyes, "Of course not, Gabe. When did you and Deena get here?"

"Just now. Where's Sky?" Fives didn't miss the implication in the older clone's voice. _Definitely was a setup._

"Trying to comfort Tea." The ARC couldn't keep the shakiness out of his voice as he thought of the reason why the woman was comforting her daughter.

Gabe immediately caught on, "Are they are okay?"

"They'll be fine. Jinx called Sky. Devrin's..." Fives trailed off and squeezed his eyes shut. "They lost Dev."

The other man sagged in his hoverchair, "Oh no. Poor Jinx. This is probably killing him right now."

Fives didn't know what to say to that, so he just turned his attention back to the baby in his arms.

"I'll take her, Fives," Gabe spoke up. "_S'ika_ probably needs you right now."

"Okay."

He handed his niece to her father and made his way to Tea's bedroom. Freezing at the door when he saw both both mother and daughter crying quietly. _What the _osik_ am I supposed to do?_

He heard Deena's soft footsteps come up behind him, "Fives, what they need the most right now is for you to hold them. Let them know that you're there, okay?"

He nodded, and numbly walked in, pulling both Sky and Tea into his arms. _Why Devrin? Yeah, he was an annoying little jerk, but he was _my_ brother. As much as Echo was._

Several hours later and Fives was lying on the sofa, trying to get some sleep. He'd tried sleeping in the extra room, but that hadn't worked. Which was why he had come downstairs. Movement on the stairs told him that he wasn't the only unable to sleep.

What surprised him was that the footsteps were too heavy to be Tea's.

"I'm sorry, _F'ika_," Skylar apologized from the bottom of the steps. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't wake me, Sky." Thanks to the small nightlight that Deena left plugged in for Tea, or whoever else decided to wander around the house in the middle of the night, he could tell that she'd been crying again. And he had _no_ idea what to say. Except for one thing.

"You know that I love you, right?"

She nodded and walked over, sitting in front of him on the edge of the couch. "I love you too, _F'ika_." Skylar leaned down and pressed her lips to his again, this time letting the kiss linger.

He took a few seconds to reorient his thoughts when she finally pulled back, "What changed your mind, Sky?"

She didn't answer right away, taking the time to maneuver herself so that she was lying next to him on the sofa, her back against his chest. Hesitatingly, he laid his arm over her waist. She gripped his hand and interlocked their fingers.

"You remember that Gabe was there at the medcenter when I woke up, right?"

"Yeah. And?"

"Well, he kind of gave me a talking to. Told me that my plans to wait until after the war were ridiculous. That none of us know how much time we have and that what almost happened to me was proof of it. He told me that I was being unfair to the both of us and that I'd better not waste the time I _do_ have with you."

"I'm glad he did, Sky."

"Me too. Thanks."

He pressed his lips against her hair, "For what, Sky?"

"For being there for me and Tea. I don't know what I would have done without you. Actually, I _do_ know. I would have lost it. Completely."

"I didn't do anything. I just held you."

"Exactly," she said softly, turning her head to kiss him again. "Oh, and by the way..."

The teasing tone in her voice as she trailed off was enough to make him feel relieved. _She'll be okay. She'll make it through this. We both will. Together._

The teasing quality to her voice also made him suspicious. "What?" he asked suspiciously.

She chuckled softly. "_You're_ telling Tea that you kissed me."

He laughed, "No way. And besides, I didn't kiss you. _You_ kissed _me_. All three times. So you're telling her. And besides, you're her mother. Isn't it _your_ job to tell her that kind of stuff?"

She elbowed him in the stomach, not too hard, just enough to catch him by surprise. "Don't think that you're going to get away with this, _cyar'ika_."

"I thought I just did." He'd been completely unsure earlier, but this now came naturally to him. _I guess that's because the hardest part's over._

She grumbled to herself and he couldn't help but laugh. The only downside to this was that Devrin would never know about them. _He was just as excited about me and Sky as Tea is._ No way was he going to bring that up to Sky. _At least, not now._

Skylar's breathing evened out and her grip on his hand loosened. She'd fallen asleep. It wasn't long before he followed suit.

* * *

><p><em>manda = heaven<em>

_gedet'ye = please_

_ori'vod = big sister_

_vod'ika = little brother_

_udesii = take it easy, calm down_

_ad'ika = little one_

_osik = crap_

_cyar'ika = sweetheart_

_Please R&R._


	43. Contract

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to Janizary, Sophia Gray, NC Writer, Hsuky14, laloga, TheStoopeds182, and Kelana-ti for reviewing!  
><em>

* * *

><p>Cordav jerked awake, shivering as strong arms held her. <em>Fives.<em> He was still alive, and not dead like in her nightmare. Dead. Devrin was gone, Dev was...

She turned on the couch and buried her face in Fives' shirt. No tears came this time, but Skylar couldn't shake the feeling that, if the ARC let go of her anytime soon, she'd finally fall apart. She was always torn whenever she lost one of her brothers. Every single one of their deaths never failed to take her breath away. But this one was by far the worst.

Out of all of her brothers, she'd spent the most time with Beta, Aran, and Tor squads. Yes, she loved all of the boys the same, she'd protect them with her life. But she was closest to those three squads. Tor especially.

Fives didn't say anything, he just kissed the top of her head. _He probably doesn't know what to say anyway. I've got to be the first woman who ever came to him for comfort._ He held her as she slowly relaxed, stroking her arm. Skylar was so absorbed in her grief that it took her a while before she noticed that he'd been stroking the same spot on her upper left arm for several minutes. She was so out of it that she couldn't figure out why until he spoke.

"I didn't know that Mandos liked tattoos. What's the symbol for?"

This was why she hated the Death Watch. Why she couldn't stand the New Mandalorians. It was because of those two _dar'manda_ groups that the True Mandalorians had been all but forgotten. No one in the Republic, in the galaxy for that matter, aside from her people themselves, even knew the heritage of the men of the GAR. Most of what those _aruetiise_ knew was that Jango Fett, the clone template, had been a successful bounty hunter. Most of the clones themselves didn't even know a thing about their background.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Sky knew that Fives was using her tattoo to distract her. And she welcomed the distraction. It was just the thing she needed to calm herself before Tea woke. Judging from the pale light coming in through the living room window, it was very early in the morning. Gabe would be up, but no one else.

She pulled her face out of his shirt and stretched up to kiss him lightly.

"Good morning to you too," Fives answered almost unintelligibly. She couldn't help but giggle at the effect she was having on him. _If he reacts like this, I'll have to kiss him more often._ Hopefully, he would never figure out that he could take her breath away just by entering the room.

"A lot of my people like trophies, _cyar'ika_," she answered when she finally managed to control her giggles. "I'm just a little more traditional."

"Traditional?" He was a little more coherent this time. _Better fix that_, she thought as she kissed him again.

"Mmhmm. My tattoo is of the _kyr'bes_."

"_Kyr'bes_?" he asked, breathless this time. She giggled again, snuggling closer. He pressed his lips to her temple.

"It's the Mythosaur skull. The crown of the _Mand'alor_. And the symbol of our people."

"Our people?"

"I think you've earned that right, _F'ika_." She pulled back to gauge his reaction. "Remember when Tea told you about the _Resol'nare_?" He nodded. "Well, I think you've met every single one of them."

His eyes widened and he began to sit up, shaking his head. She positioned herself to where she was leaning against him with her head on his chest. "I doubt that, Sky. I'm in no position to rally to a _Mand'alor_. And I only know a few _Mando'a_-"

She pulled back just enough to interrupt him by placing her finger on his lips. He didn't jump like he had the first time she'd done that, but he still jerked. She gazed at him seriously, "But you're learning, Fives. And it won't be long until this war's over."

"If you're implying that I'll be freed then, you're wrong you know," he answered as he pulled her hand away from his face. Fives kissed her palm before continuing, "You heard the Chancellor on Republic Day. The most I'll get is quarters at some barracks and a position training shinies. If a clanker doesn't put a bolt through my head first..." He trailed off, looking away from her.

Cordav surprised both herself and Fives when her palm smacked his face, hard. "Don't you ever talk like that again, Fives! Don't you dare!" And then she finally broke down and started crying. "I'm s-sorry. I c-can't even th-think about l-losing y-you."

He wrapped her in his arms and tried to soothe her, "Shhh. I'm not going anywhere. Not anytime soon. I promise, Sky." That was all they could give each other. That they only had each other for the moment. _Who knows what will happen next?_

"F-fives?"

"Yes?"

"Why?" It was all she could manage to get out.

"Why what?"

"Why d-does it h-have to be l-like this?" She closed her eyes and swallowed, forcing herself to calm down. _Udesii, udesii._ "Why do we have to hide how much we love each other? Why do we have to live in the fear that we might lose each other too soon?"

"You know why, sweetheart."

She maneuvered herself so that she was sitting in his lap, shocking him. It was several awkward seconds before he wrapped his arms around her waist. He'd only held her like this once before. _The night I'd almost died..._

"I know, but _why_ does it have to be that way?" she asked, laying her head on his shoulder.

Fives reached up and stroked her face with his right hand, "I wish I could tell you, _S'ika_. I wish I knew. But I don't. The best we can do is to make the most of the time we _do_ have." He hesitated, "Which I intend to do." And with that, he kissed her. It was the first time that he'd initiated the contact and Skylar finally understand how her kisses left him so flustered. When he pulled away, she could barely form a coherent thought.

Turns out, she didn't need to.

"Well, it's about _time_," Gabe's exasperated voice spoke up. Both turned to meet the hoverchair bound man's smug gaze and Skylar buried her face in Fives' shirt again. This time out of embarrassment. Which caused both Gabe and her Fives to chuckle. _My Fives. Just like I'm his._ _Almost._ The only thing that would make it official was if... _Not yet. At least, not until we've talked about it later. It's too big of a commitment for me to spring on him right now._

And, since her face was hidden, Gabe couldn't have a single idea as to where her thoughts were headed. So he couldn't be held responsible for the next words out of his mouth.

"So, when's the wedding?" _Okay, it's completely his fault._

"_Osik_, Gabriel!" Skylar shot up out of Fives' embrace and almost pounced on her brother. If Fives hadn't grabbed her wrist, she would have knocked her brother out of his chair.

Luckily, for Gabe, Briika chose that exact moment to decide to wake up. The baby's cries briefly snapped Skylar out of her anger.

"We'll get her, Gabe," Fives volunteered. She couldn't help but notice that his tone was just a little curt. He wasn't too happy with the other clone either. Not that Gabe noticed, of course.

* * *

><p>Thankfully, his niece's cries hadn't become loud enough to wake Tea. Fives loved the little Togruta, but he had no idea how he'd handle her reaction when she found out that he was finally... dating her mother. At least he wasn't the one who would have to tell her.<p>

_I still can't believe that Gabe brought that up._ Judging from Skylar's reaction, she either thought that the idea of marriage was a private matter between just him and her, or she didn't want it. It was hard to tell with her. She never ceased to surprise him, which was one of the many things that he loved about her. _Come to think of it, she's the first person in my life that's ever been like that._

As Skylar went to prepare Briika's bottle, he went to get the little girl. Sometime during the night, she'd managed to roll over onto her stomach. And she hated being on her stomach.

"Let me guess," Fives found himself cooing at her as he picked her up. "You couldn't roll back over, huh?" He could handle talking to her, just not the bouncing. If only Rex and Jesse could see him now. Neither one would know what to make of him, that was for sure. Before meeting Skylar, Fives had never even been this close to a baby. Clones typically didn't know how to handle small children. _I guess my easiness with her comes from watching Gabe._ But Gabe was a clone too. And nothing in their training prepared them for anything like this. _Maybe it's just instinct? I'll have to ask Gabe later._ The baby calmed as he talked nonsense to her, not even aware that Skylar was standing in the doorway.

"You're really good with her, Fives," she said softly. He turned and smiled at her and she smiled back softly as she handed him the bottle.

And he froze. He'd never fed the baby before.

Skylar laughed, "It helps if you put the nipple in her mouth, _F'ika_."

He rolled his eyes at her, but followed her instruction. Briika started sucking greedily.

"Keep an eye on the bottle. Don't let her suck in any air."

"Yes, ma'am," he said sarcastically.

Which earned him a frosty glare. He only laughed. "Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?"

That wiped the scowl from her face and she turned a lovely shade of pink, "No, you haven't. Thank you." _I surprised her. That's got to be a first._

She shook her head, recovering, "You're not so bad-looking yourself."

He gave her a look, "Great. Thanks." He turned his attention to his niece as he cleared his throat, "Sky?"

She moved closer and laid her head on his arm as she wrapped one arm around his waist, "Yeah, _F'ika_?"

"What Gabe said about-"

"You don't have to worry about me springing that one on you anytime soon. We're not ready for that kind of thing yet."

"I wasn't worrying."

She pulled her head back and looked up at him questioningly, "Oh? And why is that?"

His face heated up but he refused to look away from her soft brown gaze, "Well, maybe, sometime, if you want and when we're both ready..."

"Are you saying that you want to marry me?" Disbelief followed shock across her features. But she didn't pull away from him. She was watching him carefully though.

"Only if you want-"

"Of course I want it. But I think we should wait, _F'ika_. There's no sense in rushing into a commitment like that." She smiled coyly at him and he almost couldn't breathe. It was her next words that completely knocked the breath out of him, "But, when you do decide to ask, my answer is 'yes.'"

Briika gave a small cry and she took the baby from him, laying the kid against her shoulder and patting the baby's little back.

There was no way that he was going to let Skylar off the hook that easy. Fives caught her chin with his hand and kissed her again. "Then what are we waiting for, Sky?"

"You're sure?" _Am I? This is completely new territory. I don't know what I'm getting myself into._

But his answer was standing there right in front of him, their niece in her arms. _I've almost lost her once. I'm not letting her go ever again. What happened to Dev is proof that we can't waste any more time._ "I've never been more sure in my entire life. I love you."

"I love you too, _cyar'ika_."

By some miracle, Briika had fallen asleep. Carefully, Skylar laid the baby in the crib before she turned back to Fives, linking her hands with his, "You're sure that you want to do this right now, Fives?"

"Absolutely. I don't want to waste another minute with you."

"When did you turn into such a romantic?" she asked, her expression again coy.

"Holodrama." She giggled again and he laughed.

Skylar rolled her eyes, "Figures."

"So... How do we...?"

"Marriage contract. It's in _Mando'a_, so you'll just have to repeat it after me, okay?"

His heartbeat sped up and he couldn't help a feeling of anxiety from flooding through him. _But there's no going back now. And I _want_ this. I want _her_._ "Alright."

Skylar took a shaky breath, "_Mhi solus tome_. We are one when we are together."

"_Mhi solus tome_." Try as he might, he couldn't keep his voice from shaking. But, since she was shivering herself, he figured that it didn't matter.

"_Mhi solus dar'tome_. We are one when we are apart."

"_Mhi solus dar'tome._"

"_Mhi me'dinui an_. We will share all."

"_Mhi me'dinui an._"

She paused, taking another deep, calming breath. He smiled encouragingly at her and she smiled weakly back before continuing, "_Mhi ba'juri verde_. We will raise warriors."

"_Mhi ba'juri verde_." _Well, that last line's definitely true. Tea's my daughter now too. It's my job to help train her._ Sky had stopped and she was looking at him expectantly. He watched her face, his own perplexed, "Is that it?"

She laughed, wrapping both arms around him, "_Eleck_. You're stuck with me now, _F'ika_."

Skylar was now his wife. Then it struck him. _She's my _wife_. She's mine._ His tightened his hold on her, before kissing her so strongly that she was gasping for breath.

When they finally broke apart, she was beaming at him, "You are most definitely telling Tea now."

* * *

><p><em>I know, I know. Very, very mushy. But I figured that it was about time. And how quick they went is actually pretty normal for Mandalorians, if ya think about it. They sure don't like to waste time.<em>

_cyar'ika = sweetheart_

_kyr'bes = the Mand'alor's crown (said to be a Mythosaur skull)_

_Mand'alor = Chieftain of chieftains, the ruler of the Mandalorians_

_Resol'nare = Six Actions (the requirements to being a Mando)_

_Mando'a = the Mandalorian language_

_dar'manda = dead men, without a soul (said of those who turn their backs on their culture)_

_aruetiise = outsiders, not Mandalorian_

_osik = crap_

_udesii = easy, calm down_

_Mhi solus tome,_

_Mhi solus dar'tome,_

_Mhi me'dinui an,_

_Mhi ba'juri verde._

_We are one when we are together,_

_We are one when we are apart,_

_We will share all,_

_We will raise warriors. (traditional Mandalorian wedding contract and ceremony)_

_eleck = yes_

_Please R&R._


	44. Guarding

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to Kelana-ti, NC WRITER, Sophia Gray, Captain Rover, TheStoopeds182, DarthZ, laloga, and Janizary for reviewing!  
><em>

* * *

><p>Pacing in full <em>beskar'gam<em> as she waited the next day, Skylar fought to keep her emotions under control. In less than a few minutes, the remaining members of Tor Squad would be back at the barracks. _And so will Devrin's body._ That in itself was unusual. When clones died, their bodies were usually left on the battlefield to rot, even if the GAR was victorious.

Devrin, however, had been alive when his brothers had hauled him aboard their freighter. Hence the reason why Tor was bringing him home. Inside the giant conservator aboard their ship. Cold and lifeless. Not the Dev she'd known. The Devrin she'd known was bright and cheerful. And... _Stop. You're gonna lose it if you keep this up, Cordav._

Skylar was currently alone in her quarters at Arca Barracks. She did not want Teanna to see any of this. Her little girl did not need to see another dead body. So, Sky had left her back at the apartment with Fives. _With her Daddy._ It was still a shock to her, it had happened so fast. _But I'm not taking it back. Ever._

When she'd finally recovered from Fives kissing her senseless, after they'd recited their vows, he'd asked her to teach him the adoption vow. Typically, it wasn't needed to adopt a spouse's child since the marriage contract clearly stated that they would share all. But Fives had figured that using the adoption contract was the perfect way to tell Tea what had happened while she'd been sleeping. And he'd been right. Skylar actually found herself smiling at the memory of her little girl's excitement. Tea had been dreaming of this ever since she had found out that her mother liked Fives.

The knock on her door made her jump and she opened it, fully expecting to see an irate Maze. In her opinion, he could get his armor twisted over the littlest things. When her door slid back into it's housing, she could clearly see that the clone standing in the hallway was definitely a captain. But he wasn't Maze. The markings on his armor were blue, not red like the Alpha's or Ordo's. It took her a moment to recognize him, even with his modified helmet. And especially since she'd never expected to see this particular brother in a Special Ops barracks.

"Captain Rex? What are you doing here?"

He removed his helmet, not commenting on her lack of protocol, "I heard about Devrin. Are you alright, Sergeant?"

"Skylar, please. And I'm doing better. It's still early days though." She stepped aside to let him in. "You'd think I'd be used to it by now."

"You never get over losing your family." _At least I know that his heart's in the right place. Now if I can only get his head to follow..._ "Commander Tano told me that your father adopted the men that the two of you were responsible for."

Cordav removed her own helmet and perched on the edge of the bed she almost never used now. She spent her nights on Coruscant at the apartment so that she could be closer to her daughter.

Skylar couldn't help but notice a slight difference in the quality of the blond man's voice when he spoke the teenaged Togruta's name. _Either he likes her and is trying to hide it, or he hasn't realized his feelings for her yet._ But she chose not to bring it up. It was his business and Tano's, not hers. "And you're wondering why?"

He nodded and she motioned for him to sit in the only chair, "Might as well take a load off, Captain."

"Rex." He eased into the chair and she couldn't help but notice the faint dark circles under his eyes. _He's probably exhausted. _The Republic was well known for running their little wet droids ragged. Skylar wanted to scowl, but she didn't want Rex to misinterpret that look and think it was meant for him.

So, instead, she smiled warmly, "Rex. Well, I guess it's because my people are habitual adopters. We love kids so much that we can't stand by when we know that children are parentless." He nodded, he remembered her snap decision to take Tea as her own. He'd been the first to question her about it. "We've even been known to adopt our enemies children right off the battlefield."

That bit of information completely caught the hardened clone by surprise. "But we're not orphans, Skylar. We're clones bred to die. Your father must have known that."

"But he didn't believe it. And neither do I." She paused, thinking of her next words carefully. If Rex had been a _Jetii_ asking her about this, she knew that she'd be yelling his head off. But no. Rex was a clone just like her husband. And like her brothers. In fact, in the past two years of the war, she'd ceased to differentiate between the men her _Buir_ had adopted and their brothers. They were _an vode_ now and she refused to treat even one differently.

"Rex, Fives told me what happened on Umbara." He looked away from her, shamed. She could see that he still held himself responsible for not seeing Krell for what the Besalisk was until it was too late. "And what Fives said that caused the men to refuse to execute him and Jesse." He still wasn't looking up at her. "_Vod'ika_, look at me please." His tortured brown eyes finally met hers, "And you know what?"

"What?"

"He was right. You're not clones. You're men. _People_. You have just as much right to live and make your own decisons as the rest of this galaxy does. You are not defined by your past, but by your actions. What you choose to do with what is given to you. And that's what Papa saw. What I still see. The potential all of you boys have. I hold the Republic at fault for not even caring to notice."

"The Republic-"

"Sees all of you as nothing more than flesh droids, Rex. Very few, too few, can even see you for the outstanding men you all are."

Clearly, she'd just made him very uncomfortable. But what she'd said needed to be spoken. _My only wish is that I wouldn't have to say this. I just wish that they'd know this for themselves._ But, as long as the galaxy was at war, only a select few of the men would ever learn this about themselves. Rex and her legal brothers. Kot. And Fives. _My husband._ She'd only been away from the young ARC just a few hours and she was already yearning to be with him again.

"You really see us that way?"

She smiled, "I'm a savage, barbaric Mando, Rex. I know a good warrior when I see one."

That earned her a chuckle, "I'm sure you do."

"Can I ask what you're doing here?" She truly was curious. Skylar highly doubted that he'd even be allowed to check on her for sentimental reasons.

"I actually was wondering how Tea was doing." _Guess I was wrong._ "She can't be handling this well." _Skywalker must be more lenient than the rest of the Jedi. I'm beginning to think that I've misjudged him. At least a little._

"She isn't. Fives is with her back at the apartment. I don't want her to see any of this. She doesn't need to."

He nodded his head in agreement, clearly at a loss as to what to say after her heartfelt speech. Nothing to say about her relationship with a certain ARC Trooper either, apparently.

"Tea doesn't shut up about you."

Rex laughed, "Really?"

She chuckled with him, "Really. Don't be surprised when she starts calling you 'Uncle Rex.'"

* * *

><p>Rex followed the Mandalorian as she made her way to Arca Barracks' one landing platform. He'd surprised himself when he'd offered to accompany her. He could tell that she didn't want to be alone while she waited on her brothers to return.<p>

Both captain and sergeant stood at parade rest in absolute silence. Neither had anything to say that had already been said anyway. He thought about commenting on the new blue strand in her hair, but decided against it.

Cordav tensed as a large freighter approached slowly, landing lights on. A YT-1300, an old clunker. Rex didn't know much about cargo freighters, but he knew enough to remember that those particular ships had been out of production for several years. Even though they had to be the sturdiest things in the galaxy. It was a wonder that Tor Squad had even managed to apprehend one.

As soon as the ship had landed and the ramp had lowered, Skylar literally flew across the platform and into a commando's arms. She then turned to the other commando on the ramp and hugged him fiercely as well before disappearing inside. Two commandos. Judging from their gaits as they approached Rex, the two were Quirk and Dover. Jinx's stride, if the captain remembered correctly, was slightly different from his squadmates.

Each man greeted him with a salute which he returned before all three removed their helmets. The two commandos were completely identical aside from the hard lines around Dover's eyes and Quirk's salt and pepper hair. "Where is Sergeant Jinx?"

Dover traded a painful look with Quirk, but it was the quieter clone who answered, "He's guarding..." Quirk cleared his throat, "Guarding Devrin, sir."

Rex had the distinct impression that this was harder for these commandos than it would have been for normal troopers. Troopers, like himself, spent most of their time surrounded by at least a hundred brothers. They still felt sorrow over the loss of their brothers, but grief over one didn't knock them sideways like it clearly did with the commandos. These men had been raised with just three other brothers and had been completely shut off from the rest of the GAR. When death came to one of their number, it hit them hard.

_And Skylar just told me that Jinx has already lost three brothers before Devrin..._ Jinx must be absolutely miserable. And Rex knew what that felt like, he'd known worse. Standing on the battlefield of Umbara, knowing full well that he'd been used to kill his own brothers when he could have stopped it in time... No sense in dwelling on it. _All I can do now is learn from it._ That didn't mean that he wasn't scarred by it. No amount of encouragement or reassurance from anyone, even Cordav, could lesson that pain.

* * *

><p>Jinx stood completely still, like a statue, as Cordav approached him. DC-17 at the ready. She removed her helmet again and he lowered the weapon. But that was the only move he made. Skylar knew that he was trying very hard to look past her. Trying to shut everything, including his pain, out.<p>

"Jinx," she said softly. "_Jin'ika_. I need you to be here, okay?"

"I'm here, Sergeant," was his response. Cold, indifferent. Everything he _wasn't_ right then. He was doing exactly what Kot had described to her. Pretending.

"You know what I mean, little brother." Heedless of the probability that he might snap and hurt her out of accident, she stepped forward and pried the weapon from his unyielding hands. She clipped the blaster to her belt then proceeded to remove his helmet. His own hands reached up to stop her, holding her wrists securely but gently.

"Don't. Please. I need it on."

"No you don't. Let go." It was a command, no matter how gentle. "Jinx."

Without another word, he released her, giving a sigh of defeat. When she removed his helmet the first thing she noticed was his eyes. Red and puffy. He'd been crying, which explained why Quirk had told her that he'd refused to remove his helmet the entire trip home. He hated to be seen like this. What man didn't?

She didn't comment. She just wrapped her arms around his waist and held him for several minutes. When Jinx finally put his arms around her shoulders, he'd begun to shake.

"It should have been me, Sky." She wanted to interrupt, but didn't dare. _He needs to get this out._ "Dev-" he coughed, trying to choke back a sob. "Dev wanted to take point. I should have let him, but I didn't want him to. I was afraid that we'd get caught in an ambush and that he'd be... But he... it happened anyway."

She took his face in both of her hands, "Listen to me, Jinx Cordav. You did what you thought was right. You were only trying to protect your brother. There was absolutely _no_ way that you could have even guessed about that bomb. The one who threw it is the one I blame for Devrin's... death. Not you. And you are _not allowed_ to blame yourself. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I'm not 'ma'am,' _vod'ika_. I'm your sister and I'm here for you, okay? I need you too, ya know."

He shook and his arms tightened around her waist. She just rubbed his back as he sobbed quietly into her neck. "Shhh. I miss him too. _Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la_. We'll remember Devrin. He's not gone."

Jinx pulled back, his features carefully controlled as he wiped tears away, "You're right. Do you want to pay your respects before..." _Before the _Tsad Droten_ sends his body down the garbage shoot?_ If the authorities thought that they were going to rid themselves of Devrin's body in the same way that they disposed of the other clones that died on the ships or on Coruscant itself... _They've got another think coming. _There was no question that she was willing to fight until her last breath to give Dev a proper burial. Even though her people never bothered with such things. The closest her people came to burying their dead were communal burial grounds on _Manda'yaim_. A nomadic people hardly had enough time for such rituals. Instead, they usually kept a piece of a loved one's armor to remember them by. _Beskar_ lasted longer than the person's shell anyway. But Devrin deserved to be remembered properly. The best she could hope for was cremation. And she was going to fight tooth and nail until she got that for him.

"Sky?" _Oops. I can't zone out on him like that. Jinx needs me to be present._

"Sorry, Jinx. Yes, I want... No. I _need_ to see him."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Jinx seemed torn. He'd had two days to come to terms with his brother's death. Two days of watching over Devrin's body. And just the thought of looking at Dev's empty shell and knowing that he wasn't there... It was still too much for him. _It will always be too much for all of us._

"Skylar? Jinx?" _Rex._ Just in the nick of time.

"You go find Dover and Quirk, Jinx. Take them back to the apartment. Rex can help me with Dev, okay?"

He sniffed and nodded. "Alright." Rex came into view just as Jinx pressed his lips to her forehead, "Love you, sis."

"Love you, too. Don't you ever forget it, okay?"

He nodded again, "Never. See you in a few." With that, he replaced his helmet, turned, and walked out.

Skylar gave Rex a weak smile that she'd meant to be reassuring. His forehead creased in concern. "I'll be fine, _vod_." She took a steadying breath before entering the conservator to say her goodbyes.

* * *

><p><em>beskar'gam = Mandalorian armor<em>

_Jetii = Jedi_

_buir = papa_

_an vode = all brothers_

_vod'ika_

_Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la = Not gone, merely marching far away_

_Tsad Droten = Republic_

_Manda'yaim = Mandalore_

_vod = brother_

_Please R&R._


	45. Remembering

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to Captain Rover, Depthcharge2030, TheStoopeds182, DarthZ, laloga, Sophia Gray, and Janizary for reviewing!  
><em>

* * *

><p>Cordav shakily opened the black body bag. She could only guess that Jinx had <em>differently procured<em> (in other words, stole) it from the base that they'd been forced to make a stop at thanks to their malfunctioning hyperdrive. She knew that they had stolen it because only _Jetiise_ were special enough for their bodies to be retrieved. Being that her boys had been stiffed of their full lives, she could care less if objects mysteriously ended up in their possession.

She steeled herself as she peeled away the bag from Devrin's body. All his injuries were internal. Commando armor was much tougher than Trooper armor and almost as tough as _beskar_, so it prevented most injuries from blasters and shrapnel very well. However, it didn't prevent concussions at all. And that, according to Dover, was what had killed Devrin. If only Tor had had access to a bacta tank... _Can't dwell on that now. It's too late._

Even though she'd known that his body would appear untouched, Skylar still wasn't prepared for the sight of her crazy brother lying there peacefully. _It's like he could be sleeping._ Slowly, she laid her palm against his cheek only to pull back quickly when she felt how cold and stiff he was. _Devrin... This isn't right. This isn't fair._ The last time she'd touched Devrin, right before his last mission, he'd been warm. And smiling.

Choking back a few sobs, she ran her fingers through his blue hair which was the same color as the blue strand in her own hair. Dev was the first brother that she'd chosen to remember in that way. She was closest to Tor Squad, and, out of those four men, she'd been closest to Devrin. He'd been the clown, the jokester, but he also knew when to calm down. To be serious when others needed him to be. She could tell him _anything_ and he wouldn't laugh at her, no matter how ridiculous her predicament seemed to be.

She leaned over and pressed her lips to his cold forehead, "Hey, _Dev'ika_. It's just me. Jinx, Quirk, and Dover told me how brave you were, _vod'ika_. I'm..." Skylar swallowed back another sob, "I'm proud of you." She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to surpress her tears. "_Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum, ner vod._"

However, once Cordav started talking, she found it very hard to stop, "Remember that time you rigged the door to my bedroom? When you boys were still kids. You had to have been about nine at the time and I think I was fourteen. I remember being covered in nerf guts from the Sickener. You'd thought that it was so funny that you couldn't keep quiet, couldn't stop laughing. I probably scared the _osik_ out of you when I chased you halfway across Tipoca. You ran _right_ into Vhonte and she was _furious_. If _Buir_ hadn't been talking with her, I'm sure that she would have turned us over to Jango. I remember laughing at how badly you were shaking in your boots when she threatened that." Despite herself, Sky couldn't help a small, sad smile. "Sure, I was furious too, at the time. Now... Now I w-wish that we could go b-back. That everything was th-the same. It's g-gonna be h-hard without y-you, Dev."

For a few silent minutes, Skylar sat quietly and just let the tears flow, careful to keep them from landing on Devrin. Some part of her mind fully expected him to jump up and say 'Gotcha.' That would be exactly the kind of prank that he'd be likely to pull. But this wasn't a prank. _This is real. And I can't do anything to change it. I wish I could Devrin. We _Cuy'vil Dar_ had more than ten thousand of you boys. We could have lead you all against the _kaminiise_. We could have set you _all_ free. And then you wouldn't have had to... die. But we didn't. Some courageous warriors we turned out to be, huh? _Hut'uune_, all of us._

Skylar wished that she could give voice to her thoughts, but she didn't dare. Rex was right outside the conservator, where she'd asked him to wait, and she didn't know how soundproofed these walls were. Rex still valued the Republic. Any talk of leading the men to freedom would be considered desertion in his mind. _Poor Rex, huh Dev? If there's one thing I'm glad of, it's that _Buir_ and I managed to cure you of that brainwashing. At least you died knowing that you were _loved_ and that your life _meant_ something. Besides being the _Tsad Droten_'s tool._

The conservator door opened and Rex cleared his throat, "Skylar?"

"Just a minute, Rex." Again, she leaned forward and kissed Devrin's forehead, "_Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum_, Devrin." With that, she closed the bag back over his head.

If she wasn't so used to the clones, she would have attacked Rex when he laid his hand on her shoulder. But the weight of his hand was familiar, comforting.

"What did you say to him, Skylar? If you don't mind my asking?"

She turned and smiled sadly at him, "I don't mind, Rex. What I said was 'I'm alive, but you are dead. I'll remember you, so you are eternal.' It's how we Mandos remember our dead. We say that phrase every single day along with the names of our lost loved ones," she finished softly, looking back at Dev's body bag.

_Everything I do catches him by surprise._ Rex was looking down at her in astonishment. "Every day? You recite our names every day?"

She shook her head, "No, just my _Buir_'s and my boys'. On the anniversary of the first Battle of Geonosis is when I recite the names of all of the boys we lost on that day. I've got the record of all of the boys lost during the past two years, but it's impossible to even try to recite _every_ single name. I wish I could, though."

* * *

><p>Fives sat on the sofa at the apartment, trying to keep his tired eyes open as he waited on Skylar. <em>My wife.<em> Skylar had just called to tell him that she'd be a while and that he should get some rest while he could. _But I'm not going to. She's going to need me to be awake when she gets home._

The front door opened and he jolted upright. But it was just Jinx, Quirk and Dover. All three of them looked lost.

"What in the _manda_ are you still doing up, Fives?" Dover asked.

"Waiting on Sky," he answered drowsily.

"Didn't she tell you _not_ to wait up for her?" That was Quirk. Jinx still seemed lost in his thoughts.

"Yeah, but I think we taught _F'ika_ too well," Gabe said as he steered his hoverchair out of the kitchen. Making a beeline for the red-haired sergeant. "He's too worried about his wife to listen to her."

The three remaining members of Tor Squad turned and stared at the younger ARC. "Great, thanks, Gabriel." He'd only heard Skylar call the former sergeant that once when she'd been irritated with him. He'd tried to be threatening, but Gabe only chuckled.

"When did this happen?" Jinx asked, finally focusing on his surroundings.

"Yesterday morning," Fives answered, his face heating up. He fully expected the others to laugh. But his answer only sobered them. They knew why he and Skylar had rushed into it.

"If only Dev was here. He'd love this," Jinx said. "He'd been trying to get us to help him get the two of you together from the start."

Gabe squeezed Jinx's elbow, "We'll just have to have to celebrate for him, then."

"DADDY!" Tea's little voice screamed so loudly that Fives jerked upright off of the sofa and the other four clones stiffened. The three walking commandos had quickly pulled out their blasters. _She's gotta be having a nightmare about her father._ "Daddy!" the little girl's voice called out in a sob this time. "Daddy, I n-need y-you!" _Wait a sec. She's calling for _me_. _I'm_ Daddy. Oh yeah._

As soon as Fives realized that, he literally ran up the stairs. Gabe's call of 'check!' informed him that Tor had tried to follow him.

Tea was sitting on her bed, hugging her Tooka doll firmly to her chest. She'd backed herself against the wall and was looking around herself frantically as he walked into her room, her hazel eyes were wide.

"Teanna, I'm right here," he said softly as he sat on the edge of her bed.

"I had a b-bad d-dream, Daddy." _Daddy. That's still going to take some getting used to. But it feels right._ Tea's big, tear-filled eyes were glued to his face.

"Come here, then."

Quickly, she scurried forward and into his lap, burying her face in his chest in much the same way her mother had the morning before. He just rubbed her back as she shivered.

Fives kissed the top of her head, right between the two tiny points of her montrals, "Do you want to tell me about it?"

She shook her head, her tiny lekku, which he couldn't help but notice were getting just a little thicker, swinging and softly brushing against his shirt. _I wonder what she was like as a baby...?_

"Okay." _What do I do now? Do I try to comfort her, or do I try to distract her? Now I think I understand why Skylar didn't believe she was doing a good job those first few days. I have no clue what I'm doing here. Guess I'll just have to play it by ear. _"Uncle Jinx, Uncle Dover, and Uncle Quirk are here, _ad'ika_. They're downstairs. Did you want to go see them?"

"Where's Mama, Daddy? I want Mama." That completely deflated him. _I'm not doing good enough._

"She'll be back at home as soon as possible, Tea. She's..." _I've got to tell her _something_. I don't want to talk about Dev's... funeral. But Sky's not going to want to talk about it either._ He sighed, "She's getting everything ready for your Uncle's funeral tomorrow."

Tea didn't say anything, but her hold on him tightened.

And Fives just couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. He stood up slowly with his little girl firmly in his arms and made his way to the extra room where he slept. Even though he and Sky were married now, he still felt uncomfortable sleeping in her bed without her okay.

Hours later, the soft whoosh of the door opening startled him from his sleep. _I swear, if it's Gabe or one of Tor-_ His wife's quiet laughter was enough to cool his irritation.

"What in the _manda_ are you doing in here, _cyar'ika_?" she asked as she crawled onto the bed, scooting so close that she was almost touching Tea who was still fast asleep against his chest. "_Mhi me'dinui an_, remember? That includes each other."

For the second time that night, Fives felt his face heating up. But before he could say anything else, Skylar pressed her lips to his.

"Was she good for you, Daddy?"

He snorted. "Fine. She wanted you though. Being a dad is a lot harder than I thought."

"It's going to be. But you'll do fine. She adores you, you know that, right?"

"Yeah. But I wasn't able to console her, Sky. She didn't want me."

"Fives."

"Yes?" Her tone implied that she was trying not to laugh. _This isn't funny. This is serious._

"You got her to sleep, didn't you?"

"Yeah, so?"

This time, she allowed herself a small giggle, "So... You _were_ able to console her. She _did_ want you." His wife gently stroked their daughter's cheek with her fingers, causing the little girl to flinch in her sleep and bury her face in his chest. "She just wanted me too."

A sad note in her voice tipped him off. _Here I am thinking that I'm not good enough to be Tea's dad, when my woman just spent most of the night planning her brother's funeral._ "How are you doing, _cyar'ika_?" he asked, careful to pronounce the word correctly.

She pressed her lips against his again, "You have no _idea_ how good that feels, hearing you calling me that." Skylar sighed softly, "I'm not doing very good. It was hard seeing-"

Tea stirred and his wife instantly stopped, "She doesn't need to hear this, _F'ika_. Why don't you put her back in her bed? I'll meet you in _our_ room, okay?"

He nodded and moved as slowly and carefully as he could, trying not to wake the little girl. As soon as she was tucked under her covers, he nervously made his way to Skylar's room. _Our room. It's our room now._

Skylar was curled up on the side of the bed farthest from the door in her fatigues, her brown eyes miserable. Silent tears flowed down her face and he lost all nervousness. She needed him. Without even the slightest hint of hesitation, he slid under the covers and pulled her close.

She clung to him, but didn't start crying. "_F'ika_."

He kissed the top of her head, "Yes, Sky?"

"I love you."

"I love you too. You weren't up there by yourself, were you?"

She shook her head, "No. Rex came to check on me."

He pulled back so that he could see her face, his own expression one of disbelief, "Rex? As in, captain of the 501st? That Rex?"

She chuckled, "Who else? He was worried about Tea, too."

"He probably wanted to know if we were breaking the rules too."

Her brown eyes softened and she shook her head, "No, he didn't even ask about our relationship the entire time. But I think he already knows."

"Then why-?"

"I don't know."

"Wait a minute. 'The entire time'? What do you mean by that, _cyar'ika_?"

"Exactly what I said. He stayed with me until Skywalker called him away. Something about a big disturbance in the force. And old enemy or something like that. By that time, I was already talking Zey into letting me have Dev cremated," she shivered as she finished and he pulled her close again, rubbing her back.

_Distraction. That's my best tactic right now._ "Old enemy, Sky? What does that mean?"

"I don't kn-know. I didn't c-catch much." She sniffed, hard, before continuing. "All I caught was that the guy was the one who killed Kenobi's Master."

"That was before the war, right?"

"Mmhmm. About ten years, I think. Fives?"

"Yeah, Sky?"

"Thanks. For everything, _cyar'ika_."

"Isn't that what husbands are for?"

She giggled as she kissed him.

* * *

><p><em>Jetiise = Jedi (in the plural)<em>

_vod'ika = little brother_

_Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum = I love you_

_ner vod = my brother_

_osik = crap_

_buir = papa_

_Cuy'vil Dar = Those who no longer exist (in this case, the one hundred training sergeants on Kamino)_

_kaminiise = Kaminoans_

_hut'uune = cowards_

_Tsad Droten = Republic_

_Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum = I'm alive, but you are dead. I'll remember you, so you are eternal (Mando daily remembrance)_

_manda = heaven_

_ad'ika = little one_

_cyar'ika = sweetheart_

_mhi me'dinui an = we will share all (third line of the Mando marriage contract)_

_Please R&R._


	46. Missing Jedi

_Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co._

_Big thanks to Captain Rover, Sophia Gray, Kelana-ti, Depthcharge2030, TheStoopeds182, DarthZ, and laloga for reviewing! You guys are beyond amazing!  
><em>

* * *

><p>Teanna ran up the flight of stairs and straight into her parent's room, where her Daddy was still sleeping. She didn't even slow down as she jumped onto the bed and started bouncing. "It's time to get up, Daddy!"<p>

He grunted and rolled over. Ignoring her Mama's chuckles as Skylar watched from the doorway, Tea shook Fives' shoulder, "C'mon Daddy! You've been sleeping long enough!"

Fives opened his eyes and blinked, "What time is it?"

"0900," Mama said as she came and sat on the edge of the bed. Both mother and daughter laughed when he bolted upright. "You're getting lazy, _F'ika_."

Daddy rolled his eyes, "Not really, _S'ika_. It was _several_ hours after midnight when you got home, remember?"

"And you'd been asleep several hours before then. Don't tell me that you didn't sleep well last night, _cyar'ika_," Mama said teasingly. And Daddy blushed. The little Togruta had _never_ seen her father's face turn _that_ red. _I wonder what that's about? I don't think that they're gonna tell me, though._

"When are we leaving, Mama?"

Daddy's eyebrows rose, "Leaving? Where are you going, Sky?"

"We. We're all going to Corellia," Mama answered quietly, tracing a stitched pattern on the quilt with her fingers. "There's a field where I want to scatter Dev's ashes." Her father reached over and stroked her mother's face until Mama met his eyes. She smiled softly at him before turning to Tea, "C'mon, _ad'ika_. We promised Aunt Deena that we'd make breakfast, remember?"

Tea watched happily as her mother kissed her father. "Meet us in the kitchen when you're finished waking up, _F'ika_," Mama teased. Daddy just rolled his eyes.

* * *

><p>"Ooomph!" When Fives entered the kitchen, Tea collided with his legs and almost knocked him over. He bent down to her level and she kissed his cheek and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Good morning to you too, Squirt."<p>

Jinx laughed quietly from his seat at the table. He had a drowsy Briika in his arms. Dover was busy peeling some kind of fruit and Quirk was helping Skylar at the stove. Fives stood up with Tea in his arms and let his eyes linger on his wife. She really was beautiful.

So focused was he on watching his Sky, that Fives nearly jumped out of his skin when Gabe cleared his throat behind him. "Oh, sorry, Gabe. Good morning, Deena," he greeted, moving out of the doorway.

The other couple just shook their heads at him, faces amused. They hadn't missed his distraction. And, judging by how hard the rest of Tor Squad was trying not to laugh, they'd noticed too.

Deena took Tea over to help Dover and Gabe manuevered his chair so that he was at the ARC's side, "I was the same way when Deena and I first started out. Couldn't keep my eyes off of her. Still can't," he finished, watching the half-Firrerreo woman unpacking the few grocery bags that they'd brought back with them. "I don't think that she'll ever stop taking my breath away."

Fives smirked, "That's a pretty good line. Mind if I borrow it?"

The paralyzed clone chuckled, "Not at all." He sobered quickly, "Your wife tell you where we're going?"

"Yeah. I still can't believe that she talked Zey into that."

"I can. _S'ika_ can be _very_ persuasive when she wants to be. Zey's wary of her, you know."

_A Jedi wary of a non-Force sensitive woman?_ That was a bit of a surprise. "Why would he be?"

"'Cause, like any Mando, Sky can hold her own against Force users. She killed a _dar'jetii_ near the beginning of the war, you know."

_Dar'jetii_. He knew what that meant. Dark Jedi. Not exactly Sith, but still bad enough. Fives stiffened, looking at Gabe incredulously, "You've got to be kidding."

Gabriel shook his head, "Nope. I was there. Sky was on a mission with us. Our first mission right after the Battle of Geonosis. We were tracking an older Jedi Padawan who had gone missing about two years before that. Our job was to bring him back to the Temple so that he could be reassigned. Turns out the Padawan went mad after being alone for so long."

A year ago, Fives would have doubted the validity of Gabe's claim. But after what Krell had put him, the 501st, and the 212th through on Umbara, he didn't doubt a word of what the former sergeant had just told him. He'd seen first hand how mad and crazy a Jedi could get. He just hadn't realized that Krell wasn't the only one. "What happened?"

"He could have killed us. But he kept saying that we had to suffer first. Something about satisfying the Force. He tortured us," Gabe closed his eyes and shivered. "He was so intent on us four that he didn't even sense Skylar until she was right on top of him. He almost killed her. Would have too, if it hadn't been for Top's quick thinking."

"What did Top do?"

"Grabbed the Dark Jedi's ankle. Distracted him just long enough for Sky to impale him on his own lightsaber. She's still got the saber. She just doesn't wear it."

"Why not? If I'd killed a-"

"'Cause it's gives myself and Beta flashbacks." Fives raised his eyebrows in question and Gabe continued, "It's the hilt. The markings on it are very distinctive. Just seeing it sends the four of us right back to those days." He shook again, "Just talking about is going to give me nightmares tonight."

"It's that bad?"

"For my own sanity, I can only say that Force-users have perfected torture. I'm not exactly unique, though. A lot of clones have flashbacks of worse things."

As soon as they disembarked on Corellia, Fives couldn't help but marvel. The only civvie port he'd ever been to was on Coruscant. This planet was as different from the Capitol planet as night was from day. Coruscant was an industrial world of high-rise scyscrapers and man-made durasteel caverns. Corellia was urban. Very few skyscrapers and those all had less than ten stories. There was an actual wooded park not too far from the port. And no signs of the war at all. There wasn't even the sight of a single clone, aside from himself, Gabe, and the remaining members of Tor. That's what surprised him the most. The lack of any evidence of the war. Of course, Corellia was supposed to be neutral. Sky had remarked that the Republic was keeping the GAR away from the planet for a reason. Corellians were almost as strong-willed as True Mandos. The Separatists were probably staying away for exactly the same reason.

While he himself was awed, his wife looked around nervously, Tea on her hip. Judging from her expression, something wasn't right. Something had her on edge. _We're being followed. That has to be it._

* * *

><p>Cordav kept skimming the crowd, wishing that she'd kept her <em>buy'ce<em> on. But no. It was clipped to her belt. Just like Fives' bucket was clipped to his. She was hoping that she wouldn't catch sight of-

"Skylar. Baby, what's wrong?" That was the first time that he'd called her that. _Must be picking this stuff up from Gabe and those holodramas._ The new nickname was almost enough to distract her from her apprehension. Almost.

She caught sight of the very thing she was trying to avoid. Two people, actually. Very deliberately, she turned to face Fives, her back to the elderly couple as she set Tea down. Still holding her daughter's hand firmly. Jinx, recognizing the two from the old flatpixes that she still had, moved forward until his broad back was blocking her from their sight.

Skylar knelt in front of Tea and put her hands on her daughter's shoulders, ignoring her husband's impatient look. "_Ad'ika_, why don't you help Aunt Deena with Briika today?"

"Okay, Mama," their little girl kissed her cheek before skipping back up the ramp.

And Skylar was too freaked to chuckle. Fives put his gloved hands gently on her armored shoulders, "_S'ika_. What in the _manda_ is going on?"

"My aunt and uncle. They're here."

"I thought you said that you didn't have any other family," her husband responded, his tone and face accusatory.

"I don't. When I turned eight they ostracized me and _Buir_. They divorced us. Called us _dar'aliit_. No longer family." She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth at the memory. Her father had just taken her on her first hunt. They'd come back with some small gifts for her mother's sister and her husband. But, once Cliona found out that her brother-in-law had, in her own words, 'endangered little Skylar, all I have left of Claire,' she'd gone ballistic. And her husband had sided with her. It had turned into a shouting match that only escalated when Skylar had stepped in to defend Orar, telling her aunt that her papa was only teaching her how to take care of herself. Aunt Cliona knew enough _Mando'a_ to shout _dar'aliit_ at the two of them at the top of her lungs and Uncle Reqe had kicked them both out for upsetting his wife.

Fives listened quietly as she explained what had happened so long ago. His impatient look turned to one of fury as she finished, "They're lucky that they didn't see you then. _No one_ treats _my_ woman like that and gets away with it. Over my dead body."

She didn't answer him, she just let him wrap his arm comfortingly around her shoulders, their armor clanking, "Are they gone yet, Jinx?"

Even though the red-haired clone's back was turned towards the elderly couple, he still had his helmet on. The 360 in his HUD gave him a full panaromic view. The sergeant nodded, "They just turned the corner. In the exact direction that we're heading. Looks like we're taking the long way, _Ruus'ika_."

She sighed in relief, leaning more against Fives, "That's fine. As long as we don't see them again, I'll be okay." _I thought that I'd gotten over Cliona divorcing us like that._ But it still hurt. The elderly woman was all she had left of her mother. She should be meeting the woman with open arms, not trying to hide from her.

Fives looked around them, his face falling.

"What's wrong, _F'ika_. Are they coming back?"

He shook his head, "No. There's just too many people."

"Too many people? What the _manda_?"

"I can't kiss you."

That did it. That completely erased any and every thought of Cordav's former relatives from her mind. She started laughing, "Later. I promise, okay?"

"I'm holding you to it."

Jinx just walked off, shaking his head. Judging by the way his shoulders were shaking, she knew that her brother was laughing uncontrollably. _Thank goodness he was the only one paying attention to that._ When it came to teasing, Dover and Quirk could be the worst. _My own fault, that. They learned that from me._

* * *

><p>Kot looked at General Zey with wide eyes, "General Kenobi's missing?"<p>

Zey cleared his throat as all four commandos awaited his answer, "Yes. He went alone to Iridonia to face Darth Maul."

"Darth Maul? But I thought General Kenobi killed him a long time ago?" That was Doz. He was the most vocal of the squad and was rubbing off on Kot.

"That was what we believed as well. However, he survived. We believe that he used the Dark Side of the Force to keep himself alive."

"So, our job is to make sure that he _stays_ dead, then?" There were chuckles from the other three when Top spoke up.

Zey, however, did not look amused, "No, Private. Your job is to locate General Kenobi and assist him. Sergeant Cordav will assist you."

"But she's on Corellia, sir," Hew interjected respectfully. "Skylar's with ARC Trooper Fives and Tor."

"That will be your first stop, Sergeant. Fives will be joining you as well."

* * *

><p><em>cyar'ika = sweetheart<em>

_ad'ika = little one_

_dar'jetii = Dark Jedi (literally means 'no longer a Jedi')_

_manda = heaven_

_buir = papa_

_dar'aliit = no longer family (Mandos can divorce family members if said persons turn their back on the Mandalorian ways. Non-Mando family members sometimes use this to spite their Mando family members. Kal Skirata's sons proclaimed him dar'buir which means 'no longer a father.')_

_Ruus'ika = little sergeant_

_Okay, this is the last chapter of Aliit! Thanks for my wonderful readers for sticking with me! And to you amazing readers for your amazing reviews! Don't worry though! Skylar and Fives' story isn't over yet! I plan to write a sequel once the next season airs._


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